


Unbound Promises

by Sammiec3



Series: Unbound [1]
Category: Brave (2012), Frozen (2013), Harry Potter - Fandom, How to Train Your Dragon (Movies), Rise of the Guardians (2012), Tangled (2010)
Genre: F/M, M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-01
Updated: 2014-08-01
Packaged: 2018-02-11 08:41:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 58,791
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2061495
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sammiec3/pseuds/Sammiec3
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Everyone makes promises. Some unbreakable, some simple. I prefer pinky promises, they're a muggle thing to do but something just feels binding about every one we make. Sure, the thing's I didn't expect were to make amazing friends with my Wizard (and Witch) companions. I expected to be an outcast, invisible to those whom didn't bully me. But when you're mixed up with Spells and Spirit's, hell breaks lose and you might just loose yourself.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. I

**Author's Note:**

> Since I've been bringing my other stories over I thought why not bring this as well.

=Hiccup=

I have been many things in my life. Scared, nervous, frightened, confused, shocked. Okay so they were mostly negative and ended up with my face down the school's toilet. I had thought that this would change when I received my letter to Hogwarts, where I would be sorted into most likely Hufflepuff and disappoint my family, well my father. Surprisingly I had made it into a slightly more respectable house

(in his eyes,) Ravenclaw. I spent the year being teased by my cousin Snotlout and the summer with that pulse the disappointed looks from my dad. As you can tell, I don't have a good relationship with my family. I'm a disappointment to my father and my only friend is the outcast girl from Gryffindor named Merida DunBroch, who, like me was a pure blood and a disappointment to one of her family members.

Merida had been granted invitation to my humble home, on the Isle of Berk, commonly said that: it's twelve days north of Hopeless, and a few degrees south of Freezing to Death. Located solidly on the Meridian of Misery. Merida, who my father adored for her love of everything related to weapons, had fallen in love with the islands. Saying that is was much better than DunBroch, the kingdom her parent's ruled together. She was especially interested in all of the dragons that terrorized the island almost every night. Unlike me, she was aloud out of the house to help fight against them.

“I don't understand why you hate 't here.” She said as we sat on a log eating a homemade lunch I had made for us. We were in the forest hidden away from the town and exploring. I know Merida didn't want to make a big deal out of it, considering her birthday had passed a few days ago with little event. This was my way of giving her a gift, we'd spend June and most of July here, away from her parents and in my own hell and then the rest of the summer in DunBroch her home.

“Everyone hates me Mer.” I responded nibbling at the fish in my hands. “I'm useless, we're a dragon hunting tribe we should be big, bulky and not me.” I gestured to myself getting her to laugh.

“You're not the only toothpick around, what about that Tuffnut guy, he's scrawny.” She noted getting me to groan in frustration.

“He can pick up an Axe. I can't!” I threw my arms up in frustration, knocking my food onto the ground. “Just my luck.” I covered my face and deflated. Merida laughed at me.

“Relax Hiccup.” She rubbed my back and handed me some of her cooked fish. I glanced at her, wondering how I had ever managed to befriend this Scott. Her normally messy, red knot of curls had been temperately tamed by her mother the day she arrived, so instead of sticking out it was pulled back into a braid she hadn't bothered to take it out of. 'I like it like this,' she had said after I questioned. 'It's not in the way and I can see better for archery, but don't get used to it. It wont last forever.' Which was completely and entirely true as I could see parts of the braid falling out from her sleeping in it and wanting to return it to it's normal untamed state.

“Right,” he agreed. Nodding and looking out into the trees and back towards my small town. I took the fish and finished it, giving her a small thank you before standing and stretching out my arms. My too large shirt falling off a shoulder when I brought my arms back down. “Well, we're both twelve now.” I stated turning to her. “What can two, adventurous, magical children do on a day like today?” I wondered and she grinned.

“I was looking at some of your drawings you had on the wall.” She told me standing up as well, she was in similar viking garb to that of what the female population wore here. Much to her mother's disapproval, but she had agreed to let her not bring the robes and dresses for fear of the Dragons. Thanking the gods that her father had taught her how to fight at such a young age. “I saw an interesting one of a Dragon.” She picked up her bow and slid it over a shoulder.

“Oh,” I blushed some, rubbing the back of my neck. “Those are just... doodles.”

“No drawing of yours is a doodle.” She informed me. “You've seen it up close haven't ya?” She wondered stepping towards me, I backed up a little. “Do ya know where it is? Can I see it? Meet it?”

“Now why-why would... you want to meet a Dragon?” I asked dumbfounded. She looked at me as if I was some stupid rat trying to steal food.

“Honestly Hiccup, I know ya better than ya think.” She crossed her arms. “You don't harm animals, you befriend 'em.” She told me. “Can I meet your friend?” I considered this for a long moment. The only other person who knew about Toothless was, well, Gobber. He works at the school with a man named Hagrid to take care of the grounds and the creatures in the forbidden forest. Last year he had snuck my pet dragon into the school so I could continue to look after him. Then, when the year finished, he brought Toothless home and back to the cove that had become his home.

“Alright,” I agreed and she beamed. “But, you have to promise me to tell no one. Only one other person know's about him. And that's a strained relationship. I don't want the whole village to hunt him down.”

“My lips are sealed.” She pretended to zip her lips then bounced as I brought her to my first ever real friend. It took a half hour to get there, considering we were a ways off from the normal trail I took but eventually we made it. “It's beautiful.” She said looking around at the hidden home of my friend.

“Watch your step.” I told her, climbing down, she followed after me, effortlessly.

“Gods Hic, I knew you had a knack with nature but honestly, this is something else.” She smiled at me and I looked at her.

“A knack with nature?” I asked, raising my eyebrow and She laughed.

“You're elemental base is related to Nature.” She said. “Haven't ya noticed?” She wondered. I shook my head before looking around to see if Toothless was near.

“Alright,” I said to her. “You're going to have to leave your weapons here.” I noted to the rock we stood near. She didn't question it as she took off her bow, quiver and dagger. I added my dagger and hid them from sight with some moss then led her deeper into the cove. After a few minutes of silence and slow walking the black dragon stepped out of the shadows, watching us. I held my hands out cautiously, trusting that he wouldn't hurt me but he was wary of new people. Especially having been around the island so long. “It's alright,” I told him as he circled us. “She's a friend. My friend, the one I told you about remember?”

“You talked about me with a Dragon?” She asked, slightly bashful. I looked at her.

“Well, yeah.” I shrugged slightly. “He's my best friend.” Toothless slowly stepped into my hands, nuzzling against them. I pat his head and he inspected Merida. I took her hand and lifted it to him, she started to draw back. “It's okay.” I said to her, after a moment of hesitation she nodded and extended her arm. Toothless pressed his head against it and drew back, looking more like his normal happy self. She smiled at him and he gave her a toothless smile in return.

“No teeth!” She exclaimed, marveled by this new information. I patted his head as she inspected his mouth, she got closer.

“I wouldn't get too close-” Toothless growled, his teeth appearing and making Merida jump back. But he wasn't growling at her, his head shifted towards the entrance we had come from before he darted away to hide from the nearing intruders.

“Teeth!” She squeaked watching him hide and I laughed.

“Yep.” I agreed. “I call him Toothless, I had met him when his teeth were retracted so the name just stuck.”

“That's very clever.” She noted and a snap grabbed my attention. Looking up at the cliff we had climbed down I could see a group of people stumbling through the brush. At the front was my bully, and sadly, cousin Snotlout. He was talking with Ruffnut and her twin brother Tuffnut, and a boy I recognized as Jack Frost from the Slytherin team. They were laughing about last nights dragon attack and telling jokes before my cousin spotted us.

“Look,” he interrupted the conversation with his friends pointing down to us. “It's Baby Hiccup and Frizzle.” Over the last twelve years of my existence Snotlout has never been one for good nicknames.

“Why don't you come down here and I'll Frizzle that smirk right off your face!” Merida yelled up to him, personally I think it's one of her lamer threats to my bully. She picked up a rock and chucked it as hard as she could, missing Snotlout but satisfying me with hitting Tuffnut square in the forehead knocking him over. Ruffnut only laughed at him.

“Nice aim!” Snotlout called back to her. “But you missed looser!”

“No I didn't.” She responded as the male twin started wrestling with his sister successfully hitting Snotlout in the back and making him stumble towards the edge. Almost falling. Jack, who in my opinion was the sanest one out of the four, just watched the scene in front of him. There wasn't much I liked about the guy, but I couldn't say I didn't dislike like him. He hung around Snotlout and his gang at school and was normally there when Snotlout was giving me my daily punishment for being alive but he never participated in them. Which in my opinion was just as bad as my cousin shoving my face into the toilet and flushing it on me.

After a moment of us speculating each other he turned. Saying something I couldn't hear from this distance before walking off with the others watching him. “We'll finish this later losers!” Snotlout called at them before the three chased after their friend. Silence followed, Merida was fuming and I knew not to bother her when she was like that. There have been the few accidents where my face was at the end of her fist. Which was how we originally met, and she always made up for. After she had stopped fuming I dared to step near her again.

“Wanna cool off?” I asked and she looked at me skeptically.

“You mean like a dip in the pond?” She glanced at it distastefully.

“No, I have a better idea.” I said, whistling and Toothless bounded over. The Dragon seeming eager to fly considering he held a bag filled with his harness in his mouth. He dropped it at my feet. “Care to fly?” I asked her, her eyes widened and I started to strap the mechanism to Toothless, making sure that everything was secure and working properly.

“Fly?” She asked excitedly. “On a dragon?” She was bouncing now, even more than she had been when I brought her here to meet him. “Are you kidding?” I climbed up onto the dragon's back and held out my hand.

“Would I offer if I was?” I asked, she took my hand and climbed up behind me, eagerly getting settled into the saddle and wrapping her arms around me. “You might want to hold on tighter than that.” I told her before leaning forwards. “Alright boy,” I patted Toothless's head. “Let's go!”

Almost a month passed like this, spending our mornings in town, afternoons with Toothless and sometimes flying into late evening. We talked about everything we could, things we didn't bring up at school like how our separate classes were. How we maintained grades, while Merida had crammed her head filled with everything she could for tests I had mostly relaxed for mine. She had always teased me about how being apart of the brainiacs was all I needed to get good grades but I said the stuff was just easily remembered and stuck in my head. I enjoyed learning. We talked about our few but other friends, a girl named Anna who always sat with Merida during their classes apart and at meals that they weren't able to sit together at. Rapunzel, the only other person I would think to be a friend who was in the same team as me and like Anna sat with me in our classes apart and lunches we didn't have together. She always had her book in her nose which often got her teased and there were more than one occasion where she would run into a wall, or the wrong classroom, or into the boy's bathroom which is how she had met me as I was participating in my daily punishment for being alive.

We talked about Quidditch and our house teams, where I didn't care much for the sport Merida was enthusiastic about it. She would often go on with rants about who her favorite team was and criticizing the players when they had the pleasure of sitting indoors during a Dragon attack and listen to a match as the people outside panicked. One of my favorite moments was when a dragon, a Nightmare had landed on our roof and looked inside the window, watching as Merida danced around cheering as her favorite team, and seeker for that matter had won the world cup. Then the Nightmare lit himself on fire and the house started burning, making me and her have to run for cover as dad and a few other vikings would put the house out.

Today was a special sort of day. We hadn't been teased by Snotlout and his gang as we spent the morning in the village, my dad actually complimented me on my best friend after she had beaten Snotlout in a public arm wrestling competition, giving her the title Junior Arm and there was a celebration of the town's so many years of survival so people were in a better mood than normal. Down at the dragon fighting arena, Astrid, a girl I had been crushing on since she saved my life last year in a dragon attack was going to face off against a Nightmare tonight for the grand finale, because she was the top in her dragon fighting classes. With this happy note, Merida and I descended into the forest for the daily meeting with Toothless and our usual flight before all the excitement happens.

“You don't seem happy about it.” Merida noted as we climbed down into the usual nest to find Toothless jumping in and out of the water catching fish and eating them whole.

“I am happy.” I said sarcastically, “because honestly my dad will be sulking for the next few weeks wondering why I got shown up by a girl. I was a man, a Viking none the less. I should be out there, at the top of my class proving my worth as a Viking man. Which is completely absurd because I'm only twelve. If I make that point he would go off on a rant about Snotlout or himself.” I tried to imitate my father. “When I was three years old I had killed my first dragon,” I deflated. “I'm never good enough for him.” I sighed as Toothless came over with his bag and I started to get everything ready.

“Yes ya are.” She put a hand on my shoulder as I worked. “Stoick's a lot like ma mum.” She continued. “Stubborn as a mule and never listening to a word I say.” She crossed her arms. “And completely oblivious to everything ma brother's do. Honestly they need more attention than I do.” I laughed, remembering the story's that she's told me about the triplets. “Ya need a good fly, let's go.” I climbed on, getting myself ready before helping her up behind me, she held on and we shot into the air.

Like the first time we flew together she was giddy with excitement. Which I completely understood. Flying with Toothless was one of my favorite things to do. We did the normal tour of the island, and in the setting sun made it look more beautiful than it normally did before Toothless's ear twitched. “What's wrong bud?” I asked a moment before he dodged a blast of fire. One of the largest blasts I'd ever seen.

“Hiccup?” Merida asked as Toothless wobbled out of the way of another blast. I looked behind us and my heart sank. The beast chasing us was like nothing we've ever faced.

“Oden help us.” I said as Toothless did the bravest thing I'd ever seen him do, he charged right for the town, luckily for us, it was almost bare, as everyone had moved to the arena where Astrid was soon going to face off against the Nightmare.

“Hiccup?” Merida said a little bit more urgently as the beast of a dragon flew over us heading for the largest source of food.

“We're going to need help!” I said to her.

“Who will help us?” She asked.

“Dragons,” I responded, her grip around my waist tightened as Toothless raced towards the arena.

“This is mad!” She warned me.

“What other option do we have?” I demanded to know, knowing that she didn't have any ideas. As the arena approached I could see the lights and the cheering of the town. They didn't know yet. “Get us in there bud,” I said to Toothless and the dragon lifted into the air, a whistling came from deep in it's throat scaring several of the Vikings and a fireball shot into the metal chains surrounding the arena and diving in with the cover of the smoke. I jumped off, Merida following behind as the smoke cleared getting everyone's attention, including the Nightmare and Astrid who had been about to face off.

“Hiccup?” She asked confused and angry. The name echoed around the stadium.

“What do you think you're doing?” My dad boomed moving from his chair to stand over everyone else. “Hiccup what-”

“Dad you have to listen we're all in danger,” I said to him.

“We're Vikings.” He stated.

“More danger than normal.” I continued. “There's a-a huge-”

“What is that thing you have with you?” He demanded, ignoring what I was saying. Toothless pushed against my back, encouraging me to go on.

“It's a Night Fury-”

“A what?!” His shock and anger echoed through the arena followed by calls of outrage.

“He won't hurt anyone but this isn't the problem!” I called over the noise. “There's a-” Too late. The scream of the beast thundered over us and I saw it land on the mountain above, knocking rocks down towards us. “Merida,” she nodded climbing onto Toothless, I had taught her how to fly him once, she was okay at it but not as quick as I was. She didn't know the signs like I did. Astrid had come out of her shock and was now staring at me as I approached the Nightmare. I moved slowly, my hands outstretched and saw Toothless leave out of the corner of my eye. The Nightmare slowly stepped forwards sniffing at my hands and a few of the Vikings around us regained themselves some watching, some going for their weapons as Merida and Toothless prevented (as best they could,) anyone from getting squished by a rock.

“Hiccup what ar-” Astrid's voice stopped as the Nightmare nuzzled against my hand and moved to wrap protectively around me. I turned to her.

“Do you want to help me or not?” I asked, gesturing around to the cages that locked the other dragons up. “Pick a Dragon, any Dragon just hurry up!” She ran over to a cage and opened it, a Deadly Nadder stormed out, it's tail extended to shoot spikes at any moment. I repeated the process I had with the Nightmare and tamed it for her.

“How do I know if it's safe?” She demanded of me.

“I'm a Ravenclaw! I would've come up with something more logical if I didn't know that this worked!” I told her as Toothless returned Merida climbed off him and ran over to me.

“I can't get near it.” She told me.

“Then you need to distract it, you and Astrid.” Merida glanced at her fellow Gryffindor but nodded. Climbing onto the Nightmare. Astrid looked as if she were going to protest again but the monstrous dragon above us roared in rage causing more panic among the Vikings.

“If I die, I will come back and kill you!” She warned me, climbing onto the Nader and I ran over to Toothless. After getting set up we raced out of the arena and into the sky. I would like to say that I had a plan, that I was facing a Dragon I at least knew a little bit about, or that I had a logical plan that didn't risking my best friends and my crush's lives to an unknown fate. Or maybe this was some magical trick by the Ministry of Magic to test us. Because I'm just going into my second year of Hogwarts and I'm not aloud to use magic.

“Got a plan brainless?” Astrid called from my left.

“Find it's weak spots.” I called back, “Make it angry, use up it's shot limit!”

“Seems like 'e can't get any angrier!” Merida called from my right. Above the monster blew fire into the sky, making it rain down onto us. I tried not to get lit ablaze.

“Just keep it distracted and learn as much as you can about it, when you think you've got it figured out, go in for the kill!” I told them and their silence was the only answer I needed. Toothless raced ahead and we reached it first, all four, six? How many eyes did this thing need? Well they were all focused on me and Toothless as we circled him. I heard a deep rumbling that seemed to shake all the trees around him and a moment later fire shot at us. Toothless dodged and rounded onto it's back as Merida volleyed arrow's at one of it's eyes. Probably hitting the mark every shot. Astrid was circling it like I was looking for a good opening, she seemed to find one because they went into a dive, her Nader sending out it's spikes hitting a spot just above one of it's wings, they were shortly followed by a burst of fire and a cry of rage.

Toothless shot out of the way as one of it's wings lifted, nearly knocking us out of the air. It fled for the clouds above, which were turning dark and stormy. Toothless fired after it, building up a shot and shooting it at the same wing Astrid had shot. A painful roar beckoned from the beast before it fully vanished in the clouds. “Great,” I said to Toothless. “Now we're fighting something we can't see.” The words clicked in my head. Something we can't see. I remember from my short time in the Dragon fighting academy similar words. The Night Fury got it's name for stealthy attacking in the night, it was one of the most dangerous dragon's because we couldn't see it, it blended in as well as moved at top speeds. “Toothless, let's become invisible.” I told him, he tilted his head, looking at me with curious green eyes before nodding and vanishing into the clouds.

Toothless used his hypersensitive ears to guide him, evading blasts of fire the beast was throwing at us and in return occasionally sending his own blast back at him. I thought about the hesitation before each shot, how it needed a moment to build up. Then I remembered a day where Toothless and I had found a nice warm place to sit, I gathered wood for a fire, and we sat there for what felt like ages. While I was cooking my own fish, Toothless had gone out and caught some of his own. While we ate a Terrible Terror, some of the smallest dragons around, had come up and tried to steal a fish from Toothless. They fought and Toothless won by shooting fire into the Terror's mouth as it tried to form it's own shot.

I wonder if that concept would work here.

“Get us close, I have an idea.” I told him and he entered the clearing the giant had made with it's wings. It looked at us venomously. “Shoot inside it's mouth when I tell you too.” I said to him, he glanced at me as the beast made to shoot fire. “Hold,” I said, waiting to see the spark, “hold,” I said this because I was scared out of mind. Thinking of what would happen if it failed. “Now!” The first burst of light from the beast's fire rose out of it's mouth and Toothless blasted it. The fire exploded in it's mouth and the explosion knocked me off of Toothless. I couldn't hear him but I soon found myself falling out of the clouds. My mind going numb.

“Hiccup!” Someone cried moments before I was surrounded by black.

 


	2. II

=Merida=

We sat at St. Mungo’s Hospital outside the waiting room, my parents, Astrid and several others I didn't expect. Like Snotlout and his father, no clue what his name is. A beefy and kind looking guy named Fishlegs a boy that had been Hiccup's friend back before Hiccup had been taken in as an apprentice blacksmith and lost all his time to play. Or so they thought. Gobber was also here, pacing back and forth mumbling to himself before Stoic walked out of the room and looked at us all. "He's not dying on us today." He said revealed. I jumped up from my seat and he laughed as I ran into the room to see my best friend. Toothless his faithful Night Fury was curled on the ground next to Hiccup's bed. The Dragon refusing to leave his side, so the nurses had to make an acceptation to the, as everyone's calling him now, Dragon Tamer. Or Beast Tamer, or destroyer. Depending on who you asked. Hiccup smiled when he saw me and I tackled him in a hug.

"You had me scared to death!" I scolded him pulling away. Astrid was next to me, a revealed and angry expression on her face. She punched his arm.

"That's for almost getting yourself killed." She said as he rubbed his arm, then she leant down and kissed his cheek getting him to blush redder than a tomato. "That's for saving all of us." She pulled back before wrapping her arm around my shoulder.

"Uh... thanks?" He asked, unsure and embarrassed.

"Hiccup, that was amazing the way you tamed those Dragons then took on the Red Death." Fishlegs pushed through to stand at the end of the crowd.

"The what?" He asked, his eyebrows knitting together.

"The Red Death, that's what everyone's calling it." He said. "It was all huge and going to destroy us all but you three faced it without any fear, it was awesome!"

"I wouldn't say without fear." Astrid commented.

"Yes it was quite terrifying." I agreed.

"But you saved us all lad." Gobber stepped in. "The three of you are town hero's and your story's all over the Prophet."

"I saw that, they got absolutely nothing right. Accept our names." Hiccup noted to the newspaper sitting on his bedside table.

"Well," Mum spoke up and I turned towards her, she had been extremely distressed after hearing about what had happened, behind Stoic, Astrid and myself, she was the first to arrive at St. Mungo’s, she had been overly relieved to find me safe and untouched but distressed upon hearing about Hiccup. After calming down she told me that the first thing she was going to tell me to do was to stop hanging out with Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, which earned a laugh from Astrid, Gobber and my dad who had arrived moments after her. I would've joined them in the laugh because nobody addressed Hiccup by his full name, not even during the sorting ceremony on our first day of school. The boy had only told me his full name after he had seemed comfortable enough with me to be friends.

Eventually my mom had agreed to allowing me to stay friends with Hiccup after much convincing by Astrid, my dad and myself with the winning rule: he had saved my life. My father explained that any boy, or man as he used in this case is worthy of our friendship and shall not be shunned by the family if they save a life of someone in the family. That, and she had to agree that Hiccup, though clumsy and small was a Village chief's son, being apart of royalty himself (which never occurred to me until that moment) he couldn't deny their friendship for it might bring them into war with the Vikings.

"The most we can hope for," Mum continued. "Is that the rest of your vacation won't be as eventual." Hiccup's eyes widened.

"You'll still let me come?" He asked, shocked.

"I had thought about not letting you, if that's what you mean. Putting my daughter's life in danger-"

"Mum!" I protested as Hiccup shrank back into his bed.

"But you are from a Viking tribe," she sighed. "That is your way to show that you care for someone is it not? I believe Stoic and Gobber beat each other bloody to test their friendship."

"Good times," the two said together.

"But yes Hiccup Horr-"

"Don't use his full name." Dad chuckled.

"Hiccup." She corrected herself. "You are allowed to come for the rest of the summer. As originally planned." She takes too long to say things.

"Can Toothless come too?" I asked innocently. This startled both my parents and they looked at the Dragon laying like a dog next to the bed.

"We'll think about it." Dad informed me, winking so mom wouldn't see. I could tell that he was all for wrestling with a Dragon, he does with bears and the triplets. Couldn't be any harder right? Stoic cleared his throat.

"It'll be a few days before he goes anywhere though." He said patting Hiccup's shoulder. "Has to get used to his new leg."

"What?" Snotlout joined in on Astrid, Fishlegs and my own shock. We all glanced at him.

"What? He is my cousin." Snotlout said at our confused looks. "And common, who wouldn't be shocked at that news." Hiccup was rubbing the back of his neck like he always does when he's nervous.

"The explosion tore off part of my leg." He explained, moving the blankets so show the prosthetic. It was Berk work, that's for sure. "The nurses had a field day when I said I didn't want to grow it back. It's too painful, then another when I said I'd like to stick with tradition. But they let that slide a little more."

"Looks good on you." Gobber commented tapping his own peg leg, though Hiccups was mostly metal, looking like his own invention.

"We match!" Dad said to Gobber showing him his own peg leg, they grinned at each other.

"Boys," Astrid said under her breath.

"Tell me about it." We laughed. I liked her, though we never talked much outside of classes when we were rarely partnered up. Or the occasional nod in the hallway because we were in the same house. But as I got to know her, in the short hour before the events went public, she was extremely nice. A little violent and territorial, but loyal and seemed like a good person. I don't know if the bond we formed over the last few hours will hold, but there's something about facing a monstrous dragon that seems final for making a good friendship.

The rest of the afternoon slipped by and then it was time for us to head home. Hiccup would be staying the night in the hospital, to make sure there weren't any more side effects from fighting the Dragon then spending a few days back home in Berk where he would most likely be greeted with a much better attitude than he had weeks before. While I would be staying home in DunBroch catching up on a month worth of Princess studies I had been neglecting while I spent time with Hiccup.

This had been one of the conditions that had originally allowed me to stay in Berk for half of the summer. I said I wouldn't protest or fight too hard against my Princess studies. Which meant, for the remainder of summer, I would have to dress properly during these sessions, and act in the manner my mother saw fitting, at least in front of her during lessons and the public when necessary. While Hiccup got to sleep in, or hang out with my brothers and dad, or go flying on Toothless if he can come, or hangout with my brothers, dad and Toothless while I was doing lessons until noon. I sighed in defeat when it started the next morning, my mother waking me at the crack of dawn by opening the windows and shining the sun directly into my face.

The next week seemed to take ages. Instead of normal morning lessons, and to make up for lost time, I had to participate in lessons that took all day, from the time I woke up to late in the night where I would just fall into bed exhausted from cramming all this information into my head. In this time, we focused on walking, presenting yourself, proper dress attire, proper speech, posture, eating, (which she expects me to do during our meals.) She introduced me to books based on magic from our ancestors which I would be expected to study and learn in Hogwarts along side all my other classes. Then there was quill use. As if I didn't know how to write with one!

She had me perfect my handwriting line after line, using the excuse that she had a complainant from some of my teachers about my poor handwriting in class, they couldn't read everything I wrote. I didn't always mind this part. I was able to write to Hiccup and sent him a letter afterwards. I would complain in most of these letters. Explaining what my mum put me through each day. Then I would ask how he is, how his recovery and learning how to walk with his new foot was. And when he would be coming.

Hiccup's replies to the letters were generally the same, he said he was sorry about the lessons, wished he could help but starting next summer he would be in a similar situation. Learning to be the chief of his tribe. Then he would tell me how he was doing fine, and Astrid said she'd like to get some letters to her as well, then wondered how we had managed to become friends. He said walking was still a challenge, his prosthetic was much smaller than what he had been used to walking on and he would have to figure out how to adjust Toothless's harness to work with it. That's what he had been mainly working on. Eventually he would say that he'd be there a week from when the first letter was sent.

When I got that letter my anticipation had gone up. A whole week, why would it take so long? When I asked all my questions in the second letter his response seemed to laugh it off. His father had thrown together a congratulations on surviving party party for him, he wished she could be there because it was as much of his party as it was hers. Then he explained that they needed to have a different way of transporting Toothless to DunBroch, floo powder scared the dragon so they were traveling by either car or broom, in his case Dragon. He and his father would be coming, his dad as a guide but when he would get here Stoic would be returning via floo powder. Then on one of the last days before school, Gobber would come to pick Toothless up to bring him home.

On the day he arrived, around noon so they both were hungry enough to join us for lunch, as well as just in time for my lessons to end. Mother had told me of an ancient clan from the deep north were going to visit for a few weeks, she expected Hiccup and myself to be on our best behaviors and for me to act properly, or as well as I could muster, while in their presence. Mum explained this to Hiccup after Stoic had left, and she suggested to keep Toothless away from them. For fear of frightening them.

"Don't worry Queen Elinor," he addressee her politely. "I'll keep Toothless occupied so he doesn't get curious."

"Well, they may want to meet you." She noted, pleased by his polite way of speaking. "After all you did become a legend overnight." Hiccup blushed. "And you are royal as well." She noted, he rubbed the back of his neck, nervous.

"Well, I don't consider myself to be." He said awkwardly. "And for a while my dad had thought I wouldn't be fitting for it." Mum raised her eyebrow.

"Well of course you are." She said, dismissing the idea of him not taking over the village when he's of age. "You're clever and kind, smart. Not all leaders are body builders." She noted to her husband like he was one. The man pretended not to hear her. "Now then, off you two go. I'm sure you have a lot to catch up on." She shooed us out of the dining hall and I gave him and Toothless the grand tour of the castle. After, we hung out in the guardian where Toothless was jumping around merrily and exploring everything. We laid on benches opposite each other and looked up at the clouds.

"So, you're a prince?" I asked.

"I guess, or the equivalent to one." He responded. "Never really thought about it," he said honestly.

"Well, at least we're on the same level." I laughed, in the beginning of our friendship I had been wary about being his friend. We were in different social classes, different houses, how would this work? What should we expect. But the more we got to know each other the less I cared about it. He was my friend, what else mattered. While we both lay there watching the clouds drift by and listening to the wind brushing against the leaves and Toothless making dragon sounds, what else should I call them? They don't really have names and he wasn't growling. I thought about how we first met. It had almost been a year ago, on the third day of classes when I was rushing about trying to find my way back to the dorm so I could dump my stuff on my bed and get dinner. I was standing on a staircase, looking up as some of them changed and trying to remember what floor to get off at when a ghost popped in front of me and I instinctively punched it.

What I hadn't seen was that a boy had walked down front the stairs, following the ghost and had been right in the line of my fist. I hit him right above the eye and he stumble backwards. 'Oh my gods I'm so sorry!' I squeaked rushing forwards to help the first year back up. I remembered him from the sorting to be the Ravenclaw boy with the odd name. Hiccup Haddock. He had been so nervous as his name had been called that the boy next to him, who I would later find out to be Hiccup's cousin Snotlout Jorgensen, tripped him. Making him fall, it took him half a minute to get back up, his robes being too big on him as he was probably waiting for colostomy tailored ones to be mailed any day. 'Hiccup, right?' I asked as he held onto his head looking at me confused.

'Do you have a grudge against me too?' He wondered, his voice sounded sad and lost. 'I'm sorry, I don't know what I did but I didn't mean too.'

'No!' I said almost immediately. 'The ghost startled me, I didn't see that you had been behind it. I wasn't paying attention.'

'Oh,' he seemed to relax with the knowledge that I didn't have a grudge against him.

'I'm Merida, Merida DunBroch.' I introduced myself.

'Hiccup Haddock.' He returned the greeting.

'I'm really sorry for punching you, is there any way I could make it up to you?' I wondered. He looked around nervously.

'Um... well... I don't know.' He answered quietly. 'C-Could I... come back to you on... on it?' he wondered.

'Of course.' I had smiled at him. And he did come back to it, several weeks later when I caught him, literally caught him, stumbling out of the bathroom soaking wet. Some of the other students were laughing while a prefect from his house came rushing over, asking what had happened. I helped him bring Hiccup to Professor Fay the house head and waited in her office while Hiccup went to get showered and changed. About a half hour later he returned, now clean and in dry clothing that didn't fit him any better than the last pair had. He had explained that his cousin and friends were bullying him, as they had since the start of term and will continue to. He had been given a swirlie as Snotlout put it. I explained that I happened to be heading to a see a teacher for help and passed the bathroom as he walked out, and caught him then we proceeded to bring him here. Afterwards the two of us were dismissed and we walked to a secluded part of the school.

'Could you be my friend?' He asked, shocking me. He hadn't looked up at me, clearly nervous. 'Or pretend to, you don't have to be if you don't want too.'

'Of course I'll be your friend.' I responded but I was questioning how it would work with different social classes. He looked up at me and gave me a shy smile. 'But don't you have other friends?' I wondered, watching as his eyes drifted away and his hands twitched nervously on his lap.

'One,' he responded. 'But he's not human.' I felt extremely sorry for this boy. Then sympathy, I hadn't been able to make any friends here either.

'Alright then,' I said confidently. 'Let's be friends.' He looked up and I smiled at him, and from there we took turns telling each other a little bit about ourselves. Hiccup was an only child, I had three devilish younger brothers. So on and so forth.

"Mar?" Hiccup said dragging me out of the memory. I sat up, and looked at him. He hadn't moved but Toothless had came up beside him and laid down, his hand absently rubbed against the Dragon's scales.

"Yeah?" I asked, adjusting so I wasn't twisting the dress too much.

"Thanks." He said, as if he had been remembering the exact same thing I had. I waited a few moments before responding.

"No problem," I said, he looked over at me and there was an silent understatement. A small smile came to his lips and he looked back up at the clouds. "Hay, Hiccup." I said suddenly, he hummed, saying that he was listing. "Don't ever stop being my best friend." His smile grew and he sat up.

"Alright." He agreed, holding out his hand, pinky outstretched. It was a silly gesture, one that muggle children used to make promises. I reached out and linked my pinky with his. "I, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, promise to always, no matter what happens between us, be your best friend."

"And I, Princess Merida Elinor Dunbroch, promise to always, no matter what happens between us, be your best friend." We shook then pulled back, he looked at me skeptically, as if I were a project he was diving into.

"Your mother's name is your middle name?" He asked, holding back laughter.

"It's tradition." I stated, holding myself boldly. "What about your middle name, Horrendous."

"Tradition," he responded, we both broke out into laughter. Toothless looked at us, apparently we disturbed his sleep because he looked annoyed. "Honestly, Viking traditions are so weird."

"I agree," I laughed some more. "I mean, your leg!" I pointed at it.

"I did that for dad," he said honestly but laughed along with me. "I mean, it's the 20th century, we can get better prosthetics than wood or metal. But our stubbornness issues don't like us leaving the past unforgotten."

"I don't think the past can ever be forgotten." I said. "My entire kingdom's built on it. Literally."

"The five brother's story?" He wondered. I nodded. "Sounded important when you told me, and all new information is good information."

"Your book worm is showing." I noted and we laughed again. Toothless huffed and got up, walking away from us. We laughed some more. "Think we disturbed his sleep?"

"Yeah," he nodded a smile still on his lips. "I think we did."

The next few days were spent like this. Rudely woken up, Princess studies, breakfast, princess studies, lunch. Following lunch was a ton of spending time with Hiccup, showing him the village outside the castle, then the grounds, we flew to some of my favorite places and made it back home in time for dinner. After dinner we'd stay in the garden or when it rained in my room or the sitting room near a warm fire. After, we slept. This routine continued for about a week, then the guests arrived. At first it seemed like everything would be okay, I had to meet with their leader and several other affairs we had to do, of course Hiccup joined me at their request.

Then after about two days of this there was the feast where all of whom had been invited joined us for a grand meal. That's when I realized why the leader's, or whatever she was called, last name was so familiar. Jack Overland-Frost was brought to our attention. The Prince, as Hiccup and I had learned, and his adorable younger sister Princess Isis, or as she preferred to be called Izzy, would be staying with us until the group left in a few weeks and mum expected Hiccup and me to accompany them. Not that I would mind letting Izzy join Hiccup and me, but Jack? No.

Jack, whom I might add was the first person I met on the train ride to Hogwarts, was one of Hiccups bullies. Okay, so it's common knowledge that Jack doesn't participate in the bullying himself but he just stands by, leaning on a wall or something and watches. In my book, this counts as bullying. I hated him, not just for watching Hiccup get bullied but because he had been the first person I thought of as a friend. Then he blows me off because we're in rivaling houses.

"Ugh!" I paced around my room as Hiccup sat on my bed watching me. "I'm going to strangle her." I hissed. Hiccup, as the wonderful best friend he is, just let me vent. "Making us babysit him." I gripped at my hair, which had been kept tame for the last few weeks due to mum's rules. "She's mad! Completely lost her marbles, she knows about them bullying you why would she do this?"

"Mar you're turning red." Hiccup told me and I turned to my mirror. I was indeed turning red, everything on my face and ears had a pink tinge to it while other places like my cheeks were bright red in anger. I took a deep breath trying to calm myself enough to sit down and vent like a normal person, without injuring my best friend once again.

"I..." I sighed. "I'm just so frustrated." I said, deflating and sitting on the bed next to him. I looked at him. "Why aren't you mad about this?"

"It could be fun," he offered and I raised my eyebrow. "Getting to know Jack outside of school and out of the reach of Snotlout and his gang of horrors." He answered. "Actually getting to know him, and his sister seems nice. I bet she'd enjoy flying with Toothless." I stared at him in slight awe. He's always been able to do this, no matter who the person, or creature he can understand them. See around the bad things and just see them for who they really are.

"You're not crushing on 'im are ya?" I asked hoping that this was the explanation to his madness. For once, I'd like to see Hiccup mad and venting.

"Your Scott is showing." He teased as my accent slipped out more than normal. "But no, at least I don't think I am." He paused. "Could you see me like that?" He wondered thinking of himself as gay.

"You're not appalled by the idea of loving a man?" I asked. He just shrugged.

"I can't say," He responded. "Only one I've ever like in that light is Astrid, my romantic interest isn't high enough for me to know. I'm only twelve." We both laughed. Sometimes, it was easy to forget how old we were.

"Wait a minute, you're distracting me." I said, his smile remained. "How do ya do that?" I asked in amazement.

"You caught me." He put his hands up in surrender. "I don't know. Just a gift." He shrugged it off as if he had long since accepted his abnormalities. Then he stood, "It's getting late," I looked out the window and noticed that he was right. "We have a long few weeks ahead of us. You should get some sleep."

"Alright." I agreed. "You get some yourself."

"Yes Ma'am," he saluted. "See you tomorrow."

"Sea ya." I said and he walked out of the room.

The next few days were stressful, after finishing lessons I would meet up with Hiccup who would be with the triplets, Izzy and Jack in the room. Hiccup would play with the triplets and Izzy joined them as Jack watched silently from the sidelines as he seemed to do with everything else in his life. On the first day, I showed them around the castle, answered all the questions I was asked until dinner where Hiccup and I were free to do as we wanted. Which involved me ranting and him calming me down quite easily. The second day we visited the village and even wandered for a bit outside the city walls, then again after dinner Hiccup were able to have time to spend together. We went flying this time and I enjoyed every minute of it. On the third day, I had ran out of things to do, so we sat awkwardly indoors until Izzy, bouncing with excitement after a game with the triplets ran up to Hiccup.

"Can I meet Toothless?" She asked excitedly and he seemed confused for a moment before noticing the three boys grinning innocently behind her.

"That'd be up to Jack. He is a dragon after all." Hiccup said to her and the girl scrambled across the couch he was sitting on, crawling over my lap to get to the other side and reach out to her brother.

"Can I meet Toothless?" She asked him. He seemed stunned for a moment unsure how to answer.

"Sure?" He asked in return and she squealed in delight scrambling back over me to get to Hiccup.

"He said yes." She informed him jumping to the ground and pulling him to his feet, then she noticed his leg. "What happened?" She asked wide eyed.

"I lost it in a fight with a dragon." He told her, then slipped into an animated story about the battle between Astrid, himself and me against the Red Death with Astrid's dragon Stormfly, and the Monstrous Nightmare I had ridden on, and Toothless. She stared wide eyed as did the boys behind her. And I swear, I've never seen the three so still. Jack even leaned forwards in his seat, interested in the story. The way Hiccup told it, had been exactly how it happened and not the lie the Prophet posted. I even got to learn of what happened after Hiccup and Toothless vanished into the clouds. "And Boom!" He made the girl jump and the boys drop the toy’s they were holding. "Toothless had hit his mark, making the Red Death blow up from the inside," he explained. "But while he was exploding, I fell off of Toothless and lost my leg in the explosion." He explained. "I don't know what happened next though," he said honestly. "I lost consciousness but I think Toothless had saved me."

"Wow," she extended the word so it lasted several seconds longer than needed. "Can you still fly with him?" She wondered.

"Yeah, I take him out every day." He smiled at her.

"Cool!" She jumped up and down, "let's go see him." She tugged on his sleeve and he laughed taking her hand.

"Alright." We followed him outside to the garden that had become Toothless's home while staying here. She looked around, they hadn't entered the garden during the tour because of the fact that Toothless is here but now she could see everything. "Wait here," he told her before moving out further so he could be seen from anywhere in the garden. After a moment’s pause, a large black reptile pounced out of some bushes and landed on him. He laughed, petting the Dragon. "Hay bud," he pushed himself up and wiped his face after the dragon licked him. Then he stood, "there's someone that wants to meet you." Toothless looked at him curiously as he walked over to Izzy, he knelt beside her and said some things quietly. Shakily, she put out a hand and the Dragon inched closer pausing a moment to sniff her hand before pressing against it.

"He's warm." She noted petting Toothless, he purred against her touch.

"He is a Dragon." Hiccup agreed. Izzy giggled and Toothless backed up, sitting with his tail wagging behind him and giving her a toothless smile.

"No teeth!" She noted excitedly.

"Hence the name." Hiccup laughed. "I met him like that, almost the same way you just did but I had been alone." He explained. "You see, his tail got injured so he couldn't fly, and he got stuck in a cove. So one day, I went down into it and met him. He didn't like my dagger so I had to leave it behind, and I reached out." He demonstrated, doing the same thing Izzy had done, "looked away just incase he wanted to eat me. Wouldn't want to see that, and he," Toothless bumped his head against Hiccups hand the same way he had done to Izzy. He pet the Dragon. "But it was a while before I could ride him, I had to become his friend first. Each day I would go and visit him, I took a sketchbook I always carried around and some fish we caught earlier that day and I would go to feed him. Then, after he ate he would go and hide. But one day, I was sitting on a rock drawing in the dirt at my feet and he comes up to me, watches me draw his face in the dirt. When I took notice of him, he growled and slipped away."

"He growled at you?" Jack asked, Hiccup looked up at him.

"He growls at everything." He said before turning back to Izzy. "A few minutes later I hear the sound of trees snapping, then I look over and Toothless comes out of a bush, dragging a large branch and drawing in the dirt like I had. It was the funniest thing I've ever seen." He smiled. "Then when he was done, I was trapped in his drawing, so I had to carefully step out. If I stepped on the lines he would growl at me, when I was out he was right in front of me. Looking at me like that." He noted to the look Toothless was now giving the others. Izzy giggled. "I reached out my arm again, without looking away and he let me pet him. That's when we became friends. And when I started designing parts for his tail, so he could fly again."

"Can I see you fly?" She asked. He thought about it.

"Alright." He agreed getting up, he patted Toothless's head and walked away from the group. Don't want any accidental injuries. Toothless readied himself as Hiccup climbed into his saddle. He adjusted his foot so it was properly in place and part of his tail started moving. "Ready Bud?" I heard him ask quietly and the Dragon lowered himself, ready to spring into the sky.

 


	3. III

=Hiccup=

We launched into the sky and I felt free. Free of responsibility, free of my human body and just free to roam the world. Which is completely irrational and makes the idea seem even more appealing. "Hey wanna try that trick again?" I asked him, he glanced at me an snorted. "You caught me last time, remember?" I asked teasing him. He rolled his eyes and did a flip. "No, I'm not insane or nauseous." I told him and again he rolled his eyes. "One try," I pushed and I heard him sigh. We were decently close to the ground so Izzy could see us so that meant this would have to go higher into the sky. After a moments pause, at which I was sure Toothless was contemplating my stupidity he shot higher into the air going at speeds I'm sure weren't safe for a human body to be exposed too. No matter.

Once he felt he had gone high enough, he started a flip, slowing as I was upside down and I unbuckled myself dropping to my doom. Luckily, Toothless decided to stay near me instead of ditching me like a previous attempt at this. I grabbed onto my saddle, thanking Thor that it hasn't been damaged within the last several months and forcing my feet against it. "Yes!" I cheered as Toothless finished the circle he had originally started, I hooked myself back in and quickly extending his tail so he could fly properly. He hit me with his ear. "Ow," I glared at him but if he saw it, he ignored it. He landed back on the ground and shook his head as I climbed off. "You didn't have to hit me." I told him, he just huffed, licked me affectionately and trotted off into the garden.

"When'd ya learn to do that?" Merida asked as I wandered back over to them.

"About five minutes ago." I responded. "Being the first Dragon rider, in the last thousand years or longer..." I let that drift.

"You're insane." She shook her head.

"If I wasn't we wouldn't be here right now." I noted and she shrugged in agreement.

"That was cool!" Izzy told me bouncing up and down. "Can you take me sometime?" She asked.

"That would be up to either your mom or Jack." I said to her. "It can be quite dangerous riding a Dragon." She frowned and I ruffled her hair. "Common, it's almost time for dinner." That was the correct word to use in this situation, food brought her back to a happy state as she and the triplets rushed inside to get food. The three elder children stayed behind and I found myself in an awkward silence.

"Anything you want to say to him, you can say in front of me." Merida told Jack who flinched slightly at the words. Jack turned to me and seemed to be fully aware of Merida next to him glaring daggers into the side of his head.

"I'm sorry I didn't stop them." He said to me.

"Uh, it's alright I mean they're your friends so you'd naturally want to side with them." I said awkwardly.

"No, it was wrong." He said frowning. "I had brought it up with Snotlout multiple times but he wouldn't listen. I did try to stop it. But..."

"It's always been that way between me and him." I said. "It doesn't bother me as much as it used to, sure it's embarrassing at times but I don't let it get to me anymore." I shrugged. "I mean we're Vikings, violence is how we show that we care about someone."

"It doesn't seem like he cares too much about you." Jack noted.

"No," I agreed. "He doesn't. But we're cousins and both of us could end up as leader of the tribe so there's going to be that resentfulness between him and me… at least until we're old. Besides, he's not like that when it's just the two of us, he's a show off in front of others." Merida turned away from glaring at Jack and looked at me, raising her eyebrow.

"Then what's he alike alone?" She wondered.

"Different depending on who he's with I suppose." Hiccup shrugged. "Everybody does it, but no one see's it. Well, almost no one see's it." He paused. "We should get to the dining hall before your mom yells at us." Her eyes went wide as if she had just remembered that dinner was like, now and everyone would be waiting on them. She let Jack lead them inside and followed after, I followed and closed the door.

The weeks passed with a similar routine, which is what the castle seemed to prosper off of. I'd get up, take Toothless out for his morning fly, sometimes joined by Jack and Izzy if they were awake and Izzy would join me in the air. After she got permission from her mom of course. Then after breakfast I'd play with the triplets, or sometimes Fergus, as he had given me permission to call him that, would fight the four of us and about an hour before lunch Izzy would join us with Jack watching from the sideline.

"You're really good with kids." He told me after I had been mobbed by the four and Fergus. "And the King." He added as the man walked by carrying all four laughing children to the dining hall for lunch.

"They're not hard to handle." I said, "it's a lot like trying to become friends with a dragon."

"Do you compare everything to Dragons?" He wondered and I paused, thinking about it. He turned when he realized that I wasn't next to him anymore.

"I guess so," I responded, "Toothless was my first friend." I shrugged it off, continuing to walk and unknowingly leaving him frozen in the spot.

After lunch we would go to the garden so the kids could play with Toothless and Merida could complain about Princess training.

"I swear got god Hic you're so lucky that you don't start your training until next year." She collapsed on her bench, over the last few days she had started to tolerate Jack being around us. She was less resentful towards him in her rants each night after we went flying on Toothless.

"I think it's better to start early." I noted, "I mean, my maybe nine summers of training to be a chief verses your what? You've been doing this sense you were a little right?" I asked. "You'll have a lot more experience than I will."

After her normal rant we quickly moved topics to, her favorite, Quidditch which Jack and her got into heated discussions about, what team was better or who was a better player and always my favorite, who will be on our house teams this year. Well that had been my favorite until I was brought up in it.

"Hiccup would make a good player." Merida noted in an offhand way.

"Excuse me?" I asked shocked.

"He would, with his experience flying." Jack agreed, which is the first time they agreed on anything, besides foods.

"No, no," I disagreed. "I don't do brooms." I waved my hands trying to dismiss this conversation. "Dragon's and brooms are two totally different things." And this is how I found myself standing on the ground in the town Quidditch field with Merida and Jack circling above me as I stood arms crossed, broom on the ground, and refusing to get in the air. "There is no way you're getting me up there on that thing." I glared at them both.

"We brought a secret weapon." Jack assured me. "Izzy!" He called to his sister who was standing on the sideline with the twins and surprisingly Fergus who had most likely snuck away from his duties to watch. The little brown haired girl bounded over, enjoying a seemingly good joke her and her brother had planned for me.

"Hiccup," she said sweetly. I glared at Jack, then Merida, my best friend was doing this to me! "Please can you fly around on it? You fly so good on Toothless I wanna see you on the broom!" She begged. I sighed in defeat and summoned the broom, that instantly came to my hand. Izzy jumped in delight and ran back to the others who were waiting for the show to start.

"This is an unfair advantage you have Frost!" I scolded the boy as I leveled with them. He chuckled.

"What position do you think he'd best play?" Jack asked Merida who studied me.

"Well, naturally with him being so small I would say Seeker." She said, looking to her partner in crime. "His eyes have to be sharp from riding Toothless all the time, but he might make a good Keeper too." She offered. He nodded considering this.

"Well, Haddock, if you ever try out for the teams, which I'm sure you will after you realize how awesome and fun this game is." He started.

"And violent," I chipped in.

"If you ever go out for seeker, we'd be facing off quite often." He said.

"Odens beard you sent a letter to my father!" I stared at Merida who just looked away and suppressing her laugh. "No he'll force me to join the team! I don't want to!" I protested against her.

"One year won't hurt you. Besides, you just need to try out, no one said anything about making the team." She told me, I glared.

"You two are evil together." I shot glares at both of them. "See what friendship does, it forces me into bad things!" I didn't get to protest much after that, they put me in the keeper's position and worked, once again, as a team to try and score more points than I could block. I had to say I was a decent keeper. Not that I want to be one. And afterward, the three of us raced to see who was faster, normal seeker training. Then after we finished and landed on the ground, Elinor could be seen marching towards the field and we got to watch her sold Fergus for skipping out on his royal duties.

Dinner's were quite uneventful aside from the occasional dogs running in and jumping on the tables or Fergus and Merida and I still had our nightly fly which almost calmed everything down.

"He's not half bad." She had finally admitted after I walked her to her room as I do every night. "I mean, I did sort of know him before all the chaos last year but only for a few hours before we were sorted into rival houses." I smiled a little bit. "Honestly how do you do it?" She wondered. "Tame things so easily?"

"What?" I asked confused. "I didn't tame anything but Toothless." She sighed, as if I was stupid and didn't understand anything. Which was quite rude considering my house and all.

"Never mind." She looked around her room. "I'm actually going to miss it here," She said frowning. "It was more fun than usual. Being home."

"I'll miss it here too," I agreed. "I won't be able to spend half the break here next year, maybe just a few days at a time. She made a face and I laughed. "Won't be that bad." I pushed.

"Yes it will, Princess lessons will be slower and take longer into the day." She fell back into her bed, her red curls spreading out across the mattress. "Well, least we'll still be friends." She held up her hand, looking at her pinky. I latched onto it with my own pinky.

"Always." I agreed smiling down at her. "Night Merida."

"Night Hiccup." She said before crawling up more into her bed to get under the covers, I walked out of the room and closed the door behind me.

When I returned to my room that night there was an owl waiting for me. I unattached the letter and gently pet the bird before opening the letter. It was from my dad and I groaned in frustration after reading it. I was right. He is forcing me to try out for the team. I flopped onto the bed and fell asleep there.

That was the first night I had a dream about them. Four beautiful creatures, of a shape I couldn't tell. They were standing facing each other. And that's all they did. One was yellow, as bright as the sun. Another, blue, and clear like ice. The third was a light red, flickering like fire. The last was a mixture of browns and greens like the forest. It's light flickering as if the sun were shining through leaves. And all they did there was stand, looking at each other, none moving closer to try to reach them, none retreating. It was sad, making me want to cry.

I had cried, I had woken up with tears streaming down my face and I knew that I needed to get in the air. I changed quickly, and nearly sprinted down the hall, bounding down the stairs and out to the garden. I hoped, that no one had seen the wet trails that wouldn't stop falling down my cheeks. Toothless was waiting for me, as usual but when he saw me he nudged against me, trying to ask what was wrong. "Nothing," I told him quietly climbing onto the saddle. "Just a dream." I told myself more than him. He didn't wait for me to ask if he was ready, once I was settled in and latched on he took off into the sky, understanding that this is what I needed right now.

I tried not to think as we flew, going through the daily routine and then for a while we just flew around the castle. I told Toothless about the dream in the end, I felt like he understood what it meant wouldn't be able to tell me. Not that he could, as far as I know Dragon's don't speak English. And I'm no telepath, I can't read his mind. When we landed he nuzzled against me affectionately, as if saying. Thanks for confiding in me, then bounded off to his normal hiding spot. I walked to the door, not paying attention to the normal walk to the dining hall.

"You alright?" Jack's voice startled me back into reality and I saw him leaning against a wall. "You missed breakfast," he informed me.

"Did I?" I asked, slightly disappointed because I was hungry.

"Yeah, they're setting out lunch now." I frowned at that thought. How long had I been out with Toothless? "You seem a bit out of it." He noted.

"Just thinking." I responded.

"About anything in particular?" He wondered. I shook my head, then looked at him. He shrugged and joined me in my walk to the dining hall. "Today's my last day here." He sighed.

"So soon?" I questioned.

"Gonna miss me?" He quirked an eyebrow.

"Well, yeah, you're my friend now." I said, "I think." He thought about it.

"Yeah, we are friends now." He agreed, smiling at me. I gave a shy smile back. "How about this, we'll write letters to each other." He offered. "Until school starts, then we can ride the train to Hogwarts together."

"You don't mind sitting with Merida?" I wondered.

"She's a good person. I like her." He said, shrugging it off. "We'll start to be real friends from here on out." He offered. "I'll try to keep the bullies off of you with Merida, though I don't think anyone will mess with the Dragon Tamer this year." He chuckled a bit and I smiled. "We'll make this last day of summer vacation together the best one all year." He promised.

"Alright." I agreed. "What would make it the best day?" I asked.

"Well, I haven't gotten a ride on Toothless yet." He said. "That'd be a start." I laughed a bit. "I know you and Merida go out each night. I'm a bit jealous." He told me, being completely honest. "And, as she so proudly bragged before, she's driven Toothless?" He asked, I nodded. "Not fair."

"She's been my friend longer." I noted, he nodded as if this made sense.

"Well now you're going to have a boy friend."

"You should choose your words better." I noted getting him to blush scarlet.

"Guy friend." He corrected himself, brushing his brown hair out of his face. I'd never actually noticed his appearance before, I tried not to let the shock show on my face. He was quite handsome for being... 11? Twelve?

"How old are you?" I wondered. He glanced at me.

"11, turning 12 in a few months why?"

"You're only 11?" I tried not to laugh. "You look older." He walked a little straighter, proudly.

"Yeah, well, I'm more mature than most." He agreed and I laughed. "How old are you?" He asked.

"Twelve." I responded and he deflated some. "My birthday's in May."

"Oh," he said. "This sucks you're older than me. And you're so small!"

"Thank you for pointing out my biggest appearance flaw, I'll take it personally." We both laughed and stopped at the door to the dining hall. "Okay, so aside from riding Toothless what do you want to do?"

"Well Quidditch was fun with the three of us." He offered, I scowled. "But we don't have to if you don't want to." He added quickly.

"It's not that I don't want to, just my dad sent me a letter last night. Responding to the one Merida sent him, telling me to try out for the team." I explained.

"Really?" Merida popped up next to us, making me jump and Jack laugh at it. Then he looked at her and laughed even more.

"Oh gods," he bent over, holding his stomach. "You look like a girl!" Was the first thing he managed to get out through his laughter. "That dress!" She proceeded to be extremely un princess like and smacked him until he stopped laughing. Which took a surprisingly long time because every time he calmed down it started up again. But I saw what he meant, Merida didn't look like her normal self, she was in one of the old traditional Princess dresses with large skirts that stuck out much farther than it needed too. It was green, all shades of green and her hair had been pinned up into an elaborate ponytail. I wondered how long it had taken Elinor to do that, probably most of the morning. Which means if she messed it up her mom would yell at her.

"You look nice." I told her, after Jack's fit had ended and I could properly look at her.

"Thank you Hiccup." She smiled at me, I smiled back. "He knows how to be polite!" She snapped at Jack who in turn started laughing again. Instead of hitting him she stormed off, complaining about her mum and the dress and how she can't sit in the stupid thing.

"You might've hurt her feelings." I commented after his laughing fit ended again.

"I'm sorry but that was too much, she looked nothing like herself." He said, "I mean, yeah she looked good but it wasn't her."

"You still didn't have to laugh like that." I defended.

"Please we'll all be laughing at it later when we're on the brooms in the Quidditch pitch after she's beaten the life out of me." He noted and we entered the dining hall for lunch.

Flying with Jack was nothing like flying with Merida, but somehow, I loved it just the same. While flying with Merida felt like a warm summer's day, Jack's felt cold like a winter storm. It was exhilarating. Toothless moved quicker with much more purpose than he normally would while riding alone with me or with Merida, it was as if he needed to show off, like he wanted to be seen and outshine anything before him. Jack seemed to enjoy it just as much as I did. He laughed and pointed to places he wanted to see, with quick responses I'd move Toothless towards the location and we'd rush past it once before slowing for a better view the second time, as if taking a victory lap. When we set down back in the garden both Jack and Toothless were hyperactive and excited. As if their emotions were radiating off of each other.

"That was awesome!" Jack jumped in the air and Toothless raced in a circle as if chasing his tail. "We have to do that again sometime." He told me. I just nodded, agreeing with him absently wondering what Fall and Spring would feel like. If I could ever take anyone out on a ride with Toothless and describe it as such. I mean, I had a taste of Winter and Summer. Suddenly the dream returned to me, the four spirits, I'm sure that's what they were now, just watching each other never nearing never departing. Each reminded me of a season. Hiccup. But if they had been the four seasons, then wouldn't they have been interlaced? Because that's what the season's do in reality. Each blends into the next creating a mirage of beauty. Hiccup, and even then, why would two of my friends remind me of the seasons? I mean, it's not like they are the seasons themselves, or even have powers over them. "Hiccup!" Their voices snapped me out of my thoughts and I looked at them confused.

"Are ya alright?" Merida asked worried. I looked between them, Jack had the same expression on his face.

"F-Fine." I said, swallowing back whatever just hit me. I felt dizzy and nauseous for the first time in a long time.

"Maybe ya should sit down?" She asked me, "Ya don't look too good." She told me.

"I'm fine," I said more confidently, as to not worry them further. "Promise." They glanced at each other, having a silent conversation.

"Alright." Jack said nodding to me. "Think you can play Quidditch?" He asked.

"Yeah," I nodded, "I think I can." We left the garden and my thoughts behind and for the rest of the day had, as Jack described it, the best day of summer this year. I had to agree, even with my moment it was the most fun I've had all summer, and this was the first summer I had a ton of fun with the human species. Considering it all, it was a pretty good summer. Even when it came time for them to leave, Jack was cracking jokes and telling us his plans for anyone that tried to bully me this year. Which Merida decided to make a challenge out of it, the best prank wins. I'm the judge and I can't use bias, as in no picking Merida just because I knew her longer, or no picking Jack because, and I quote him, "I'm cooler than Merida." To which she proceeded to smack him upside the head and I laughed and he laughed and she joined in.

"Let's be good friends this year," Jack said. "Real friends." To which I held a hand out in the stupid muggle promise with my pinky sticking out. Merida joined and after a moment of confusion Jack added his.

"We'll all be good friends this year." I said.

"And bring lots of trouble to anyone who tries to stop us." Jack added.

"And beat each other up when we can." Merida added. We all laughed and bounced our hands, setting the promise.

"See you at the express!" Jack waved as he and his family left.

"Save us a spot!" Merida called back waving.

"Bye Jack!" I waved as well and we watched as he continued to wave until he was out of sight.

"Never thought I'd be sad to see him go." She said honestly. I laughed a bit, putting my arm around her shoulder and she did the same with mine. We walked each other back inside and towards the garden.

"He's our friend now. Course you'd be sad to see him go." I told her, she laughed.

"I guess so." She said, then sighed. "Who'd have thought. I'd be friend with that guy."

"Clearly not you." We both laughed and exited the castle ready for our daily flight.

That was the second night I had a dream about the spirits. Only this time, three of them were connected in the middle. As if an arm had reached out to join them. But they still stood far apart from each other. The last one, the yellow one, Spring. Was just watching them, standing apart, not daring to move forwards. Or, maybe she hadn't been invited to join? The other spirits, Fall, Winter, Summer, had all been connected, did Spring need an invitation to join? Or, had she just not found them yet? She... Yes, I believe that Spring would be a girl. Just as summer would, and Fall and Winter boys.

The next day I woke up crying again, but this time I stayed in my room, letting it all come out. The following day's flowed by quite uneventfully. It was boring without Jack here, and the more sitting around I did, the less I wanted too. I had spent a large amount of time flying, which had been normal before I met Merida, because flying was the only way I could think properly. Merida, when she wasn't doing Princess things, often took to the library where we would look at books that were to be used next term. Preparing ourselves for the year, and that kept us quite busy. Without the third person, Quidditch had easily become boring though we still went out flying on brooms and practicing when we got bored of studying. We always had our nightly flight but slowly we grew thin on things to talk about. Sometimes we spent hours in silence, just drawing or staring at a wall in Merida's case. I tried to teach her how to draw, simple things. A dog, flower, even had her try to look at something and draw that. She didn't do bad but her attempts were still poor.

Things began to pick up when in the post we received our letters for Hogwarts. Fergus informed us that we would be going out shopping tomorrow, which gave us loads to talk about. School was coming back, we wondered what classes we'd have together and who would make the Quidditch teams this year, I sent a letter for my dad asking him to meet us there tomorrow so I could have the money to buy my school supplies, and laughed when he instead sent back several owl's carrying a large money purse and a note saying to buy Quidditch gear. To which I replied: Thanks for the money, can't promise that I'll make it on the team.

Merida was overly excited about being able to buy gags to show up Jack at Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes, a shop owned by a fellow Gryffindor's parents. She asked her dad for an extra sum of money just for these prank items, and even tried to ask me. "I'm non-bias remember?" I asked her, and much to her frustration she didn't get any money from me.

When we arrived the next day, we stumbled right into Jack and cheered when seeing him. "You're here!" He exclaimed happily as Elinor and Jack's mother, whom I never received a name smiled knowingly as if they'd planned it. Which is quite likely. "I knew it!" He said happily, "I knew you'd be here today!"

"You sound like you missed us," Merida said amused but trying to appear as if she hadn't missed him.

"Yes!" He said wrapping his arm around both of our shoulders and leading us forwards the mothers following behind chatting about nonsense things. "Gods it's been so boring sense I went home." He said. "Izzy has her friends from the muggle school but I have no one up there. I swear, I've read more for school in these last few days than I did all last school year."

"You too?" Merida and I asked together getting us all to laugh. We entered the bookshop and wandered about looking for what we needed when I spotted a girl standing and reading the labels of seemingly every book on the shelf. Occasionally she would reach out as if she decided on a book only to retract her hand and shake her head.

"I'll be right back." I told them both, going over to the girl and taking a book off the shelf next to her. "This one's good." I told her, getting her bright green eyes looked at me. It took her a moment before a fisted hand slammed into her other one.

"Hiccup!" She said giving me a hug, I hugged her back, and noticed my friends staring at me. I tried to ignore them. "How have you been? What's it about? You look taller, are you here shopping for school too?"

"Great, just read it you'll love it I know I did, thanks and yes," I answered her and she took the book from my hands. "You grew up in a muggle family right?" I asked, she nodded. "Well these are famous children's stories in the Wizarding world." I explained. "Almost everyone grows up on them, just thought it'd be something you'd enjoy." She smiled at me.

"Thank you." She said, "can't wait to read them." She clutched the book to her chest before looking around the corner to the other side of the shop. "Mum I found a book!" She called.

"Just one?" A woman asked poking out around the corner. "They all look so interesting. Some of them move!"

"I know!" Rapunzel bounced a little. "Thanks Hiccup." She smiled at me before disappearing around the corner to buy the book. I walked back over to Jack and Merida who were waiting for me.

"Who was that?" Jack asked, raising his eyebrow.

"Rapunzel Corona," I responded and Merida made an O with her mouth.

"She's the book work." Merida commented, making Jack even more confused. "They're from the same house," she told him.

"Oh." He said slowly starting to get it.

"She's muggle born," Merida added getting him to raise his eyebrow.

"So?" He questioned.

"Just seeing of you were one of those type of people." She shrugged handing Hiccup some books they had gathered. "These are yours."

"Thanks," I smiled at her and we went to pay.

"So, what's her affliction to you?" Jack asked me.

"Rapunzel?" I asked. He nodded. "A friend I guess. Haven't spoken to her all summer. She and I were the outcasts of the first years in our house. So we spent a lot of time together on projects and things. At least, when I didn't have a class with Merida."

"Merida says she's a book worm?" He wondered.

"Always reading." I agreed, "always had a book with her, or five." I laughed a bit. "And uh..." I paused. "She's the one who hit Snotlout with the atlas." Jack laughed.

"No kidding?"

"Completely and 100 percent accurate." The girl's voice behind them made them jump.

"I thought you already went to pay." I turned to look at her, she smiled, her one book turned into seven.

"Couldn't resist." She responded.

 


	4. IV

=Merida=

Rapunzel ended up joining us for the rest of shopping. Which I was okay with, and I think was the smartest thing to do. She might've bought every book in the ally if she hadn't. Mum had bewitched the books to appear in her room back at the Corona home, which her parents seemed grateful for. We walked from store to store getting everything we needed as well as things we didn't, Rapunzel explained Quidditch to her parents when we stopped at the supply shop to get what we needed for tryouts and then again she had to explain that it was a spell on the chocolate frogs that made them semi-living as Jack caught his mid jump as it tried to get away. They seemed interested in absolutely everything. Which was understandable, they were muggles.

"Finally," Jack and I sighed together as we reached Weasley's Wizard Wheezes then we glared at each other. "Not you too!" We said together again only making the glaring worse. Hiccup laughed.

"What's so funny?" Rapunzel asked him.

"They have a bet, to see who has the best prank this year. Using my bullies as victims." He told her as we continued our glaring contest. "I'm supposed to be the judge with no bias."

"Well that seems a bit unfair." She commented. "Shouldn't you use someone out of the picture?" She wondered.

"I didn't make the rules." He threw his hands up and I looked at them.

"Ha!" Jack cheered next to me.

"She has a point." I said, getting the two to look over at me. "It wouldn't be fair if Hiccup is the only judge. I have known him longer, and well there's the whole you apart of Snotlout's gang thing, there's gone be some resentment some days. Can't always control it."

"What of it?" Jack wondered. "Not like I'll be hanging out with them so much this year, I got you two."

"Rapunzel what do you say to being a second judge?" I asked her, shocking the both of them. "It'd be perfect, she has no bias towards either of us. So her scores will always be fair, then there will be Hiccup's vote and that'll tell us who's he enjoyed more."

"Wow, that's a smart thing for you to come up with." Jack noted, ignoring her death glare. "Alright so what do you say?" He asked Rapunzel.

"Sounds fun." She agreed.

"Great!" He threw a fist into the air. "Now here are the rules for the pranks."

"Rules?"

"Yes." He insisted. "Both judges have to be present while the prank is taking place. And they rate it on a scale of 1-10 at the end of the year whom ever has the most points wins."

"What happens when they realize that only those who've bullied Hiccup are getting targeted?" Rapunzel asked. "And you run out of targets."

"Anyone who tries to stop us from being friends." I responded. "Or, anyone who's generally a bullier towards others."

"Wouldn't that make us the bullies?" Hiccup asked, unsure. Then he held out his hand, pinky out.

"A pinky swear?" Jack asked, but didn't protest as he added his in.

"Sounds fun!" Rapunzel added hers and I finished it

"We all promise not to prank anyone without cause," Hiccup said. "To not become the bullies and only prank those who, in turn have done harm to another person and has been witnessed by our eight eyes."

"I promise." I said first.

"I promise." Rapunzel joined happy to be included in this.

"I promise." Jack ended, smiling at the other four. "Now let's go get some pranking tools!" The two of us dashed off towards the shop and into the mess of people.

It seemed like ages later when I slipped out of the shop, content with my findings and found Hiccup on the steps holding his head as if he'd been crying and Rapunzel next to him. "I don't understand it and it's been on my mind constantly." He said and I was sure I wasn't supposed to hear this.

"It's alright," she said softly. "It's just a dream right?" She wondered.

"Well, yes, but it feel so real." He said. "It's the only thing I've dreamt of for weeks now and every time it's the same and I wake crying. I don't even know why." Now I know I shouldn't be listening to this. I wondered if I should slip back into the shop when Jack bounced out of the shop.

"Merida check this out!" He held a white fluff ball in front of me and I stared at it, it stared back.

"What-"

"Isn't it adorable?" He asked putting it on his shoulder. "They come in different colors, look." He pulled out three more. "I got one for each of us." He handed me a red one and it snuggled into my neck,

"Oh my god it's so soft!" I nuzzled it and Jack laughed. "Here Rapunzel, Hic-" He stopped in the middle of the name, looking at the boy. "You've been crying again." He said, all the excitement from seconds before gone. He went to sit on the opposite side of Hiccup and Rapunzel made room for me to join them. Jack handed Rapunzel a yellow poof ball and kept the green one in his hands. "Hiccup what's wrong?" He asked.

"I-It's nothing." Hiccup responded, and clearly it was a lie.

"Is it what was bothering you on the day I left?" He asked, then his eyes widened. "It's not me is it?" He asked horrified for the answer to be yes.

"It's not you." Hiccup reassured him. He glanced at Rapunzel for help. "I-It's just a dream... nothing else." I put a hand on his shoulder.

"Why would a dream make you this sad?" I asked him softly. He didn't look at us, just at his shaking hands on his lap and it reminded me of when he asked me to be his friend. He was nervous and unsure if anyone would accept him or what he has to say. "Hiccup you can tell us, we won't reject you." He looked up at me, "I won't reject you."

"Neither will I." Jack promised.

"Same," Rapunzel said but I'm sure she had already heard the story. He nodded slowly, looking at the three of us.

"It started the day before you left Jack." He started. "After I walked Merida to bed when we went flying. I fell asleep almost immediately." He explained the dream, how there were four glowing shapeless, or well in this case, ever changing shapes all facing each other, at arm's length and they just stood there. I could see how it would make him sad, how they never moved towards or away from each other. Just standing there, within reach but not making a move towards it. It was, lonely, sad. Might've even brought me to tears if I had dreamed it. Then he explained how he had woken earlier than normal, about the time mum's been waking me up lately, and he had been crying. So he flew with Toothless to try and calm himself.

Then again he had lost himself too deep in thought to even hear me or Jack after they returned from flying. He had been crying that time too but I don't think he realized it. It had taken us several long and honestly terrifying minutes to bring him back. Then the night Jack left, he had the same dream. Only three of them were reaching for the others, while one stayed behind, just watching. And that was lonelier still. The three connected but at arms reach, the fourth an outcast. And he's been having this same dream ever night sense, nothing else changing. Waking every morning crying and trying to understand it. I pulled him into a hug, something he currently desperately needed and I wasn't going to deny my best friend that. Rapunzel joined and Jack quickly followed.

"Don't worry," Jack told Hiccup. "We'll help you figure it out."

"Really?" Hiccup looked unsure, but Jack held out his pinky. For the second time that day, we made a promise to each other.

The rest of the day was pretty uneventful. More shopping, eating and watching entertained as the Rapunzel's parents tried to figure things out. Eventually Rapunzel suggested a sleep over. We debated over who's house to go to. I suggested mine considering Hiccup was already there, Hiccup agreed though he was curious as to what Rapunzel's and Jack's houses looked like. Rapunzel suggested hers then commented that Toothless, who she learned much about through Hiccup, couldn't go there. It's a muggle settlement. So that counted hers out unless Hiccup was willing to part with Toothless, he didn't see to want too.

"There's only a few days left before term starts." He had said when Jack asked him. "I can't bring him to school with me." It was a valid point, after all Toothless wasn't an owl, cat or toad. And I'm sure there's a rule against having pet dragon's at the school. We settled on one of the three magical settlements which Rapunzel happily agreed too, saying she's never been in one before. Jack suggested Berk but Hiccup shot it down almost immediately. "Rapunzel running around with all those dragons, I mean sure their tamer than they had been before, but we should stick to one dragon at a time." Again, a valid point. So that left my home, and Jacks.

"Play you for it." Jack said as Hiccup played with his puff ball. "Classic game of rock paper scissors." He explained.

"Two out of three?" I asked holding a fist out. He outstretched his. "One,"

"Two," I spoke.

"Three!" Rapunzel popped out and we chose our shapes.

"Yes!" Jack cheered at his victory, scissors beats paper.

"Ha!" I said at the second round beating his rock with paper.

"Alright," Hiccup said, "One, two, three!" There was a moment of silence. Then Hiccup and Rapunzel laughed. "Draw!" He called as two rocks were out. "One, Two. Three!"

"Ha!" I jumped up, victorious. "My house it is!" It was declared, but I don't think that Jack minded, the parents agreed to let us have the sleepover, suggesting to Rapunzel's parents that she should stay with us till term starts, they could bring her to the station and meet up wit the parents if they wished.

"And so," Jack proclaimed as he dumped his school bag in Hiccups room. "It is final." We all collapsed onto Hiccup's bed happy to have the last few days of freedom together.

"I'm exhausted." Hiccup announced. Curling into himself ready to take a nap. The day had been long, filled with shopping and of course visiting Jack's and Rapunzel's homes so they could gather their belongings to bring them here. Hiccup had been giddy with excitement as he got to see the homes and literally ran us dry as he explored everything.

"You are?" I asked laughing as I turned to look at him properly. "We ran after you most of the day."

"Didn't ask you too." He mumbled, half asleep already. I laughed a bit but didn't have the energy to argue with him. I was just as tired as he was. In moments I had found myself, along with the others asleep on the bed.

A pressure on my arm woke me up, and it took me a moment to register where I was and what was holding me. Hiccup. He was sitting, balled up near the front of his bed. His hand reached out to grip mine. I shifted, trying not to disturb the other two sleeping awkwardly on the bed. "Hey," I said softly, moving to sit next to him. He rested his head against my shoulder. "It's alright." I told him, wrapping my arm around him to hold him closer. "Was it the same?" I asked, he shook his head. "What changed?"

"They were all holding hands." He responded. "I was happy, she was included." He sounded dead tired and I wondered what time it was. "But they still felt miles apart." I rubbed his shoulder affectionately.

"We'll figure it out." I told him, he nodded, relaxing into the embrace and slowly fell asleep like that. I wondered why he called the fourth thing a she. Slowly, I pressed my head against his and closed my eyes.

"Mer Mer." The voice woke me up, I was coiled in a ball at the front of the bed. It was me, Jack and Rapunzel and Jack was snickering at me.

"What?" I demanded sitting up.

"You looked so peaceful." He said, "but I had to get you up sorry." I looked around the room.

"Where's Hiccup?" I asked.

"Where else?" He asked pointing out the window. Duh, he hadn't flown Toothless at all yesterday, the dragon must be itching to fly. "So, how'd you end up over here? It's not where you fell asleep." He noted.

"Hiccup woke me sometime after we fell asleep." I responded. I explained what happened and Jack made an O with his mouth.

"That dream really bothers him." Rapunzel noted, frowning. "If it continues into the school year..." her voice drifted but I had a general idea of what she meant. Stress, depression, anxiety. They'd stretch to breaking point. Like mine do sometimes when I'm in a lesson.

"We need to figure something out, or he might end up hurting himself." I said, they both nodded.

"Maybe if we could find a way for Toothless to be let into the school." Jack offered. "He likes to fly to get things off his mind."

"But pet dragon's are still Illegal in Europe. Some country have annexed this but only ones that can control it, or have a mostly magical population like Berk." I said. "Hogwarts is in England, one of the most stuck up countries ever."

"Berk might outweigh them." Jack noted.

"They're all Vikings, they have stubbornness issues." I commented, repeating what Hiccup always told me.

"Are you quoting me?" Said boy asked and I turned, Hiccup stood drenched, his brown hair plastered to his face, his furr's dripping.

"How!" Jack laughed. "It's not even raining!" He laughed some more getting an annoyed glare from the soaking wet boy.

"Toothless thought I needed to cool off." He responded walking through the room. "Ladies, if you would please," he gestured towards the door and Rapunzel and I got up. Letting him change. It wasn't long before he let us back in. "So, you were quoting me?" He looked at me skeptically. "Why?" He wondered.

"We were talking about stubborn countries." I answered taking my place on the bed again, Rapunzel sat next to me and Jack was laying, taking up most of the bed. "Trying to figure out who was more stubborn, England or Berk."

"I see," He sat on the other side of Jack who was covering an eye with his hand and staring at the ceiling with one eye, then switching to the other every few minutes. "I think Berk wins there." He said honestly. "Vikings" he showed one hand. "Brit's." he showed the other weighing them.

"Wasn't there a feud between the two not too long ago?" Rapunzel asked.

"About a century ago yes, we wanted to be able to bring weapons to Hogwarts. Obviously we lost." He explained to her.

"What an odd thing to want." She mused. Hiccup shrugged and looked down at Jack as he switched eyes again.

"What are you doing?" I asked him.

"There's a dot." He pointed and we looked up. Sure enough there was a black dot on the ceiling. "I think it's moving but I'm not sure." With that comment we all laid back, joining his crazy, whatever he's doing. Hiccup fell asleep almost immediately. Which became a known fact to us when Jack jumped as the boy cuddled into his side, holding the younger male closer, and using his chest for a pillow. I sat up for a better view.

"Clearly he hasn't been getting enough sleep." I noted and Jack and Rapunzel just nodded as if scared to wake the boy. We stayed in silence for a while, Jack unable to move, so eventually he wrapped his arm around the older male protectively and drifted off into sleep with him. I stayed sitting up, leaning on one arm and playing with strands of Rapunzel's long golden blond hair. She occupied herself with the book Hiccup had picked out for her, reading it directly above her so she could still lay down. I wondered if it hurt her arms, but didn't dare ask in fear of waking the boys next to us. I couldn't tell how much time passed but eventually Jack was shocked awake. He shifted slightly, careful not to disturb the boy holding him and looked down at him.

"He's still asleep." He said mostly to himself, relaxing as if a nightmare had been washed away. "Just a dream..."

"What happened?" Rapunzel asked, laying her book on her chest and Jack looked at us as if he had just realized we were there.

"He was calling for me," Jack responded. "It sounded like he was hurting, and he just kept calling my name. I tried to find him I did." It was sounding like he was trying to reassure himself more than us. "There was black everywhere I couldn't see anything just hear his voice." He held his head with his free arm.

"We seem to like to have weird dreams." Rapunzel noted, happy to consider herself in the 'we.' "I'll look into dream magic when we get back to school. There might be something related to these."

"Well, books are your forte." I noted, continuing to play with her hair. I glanced at Jack, who had regained himself enough to just watch the sleeping boy that was holding him.

"Looks cute." I told him, startling him. "Makes you look like you're together."

"You're twelve, how would you know anything about that?" He asked.

"Princess lessons. And books." I noted. He frowned thinking about it.

"He wouldn't see me like that." Jack decided. "He likes that Astrid girl. Not me." I couldn't tell if he was happy or disappointed.

"There's such a thing as liking both genders." I noted, rolling my eyes at his stubbornness. "And he had a crush on Astrid, like, a month ago. Now not so much." He looked at me.

"Why?"

"Because he likes someone else." I told him, as if that should be the most obvious thing in the world. Jack stayed silent for a long time, then suddenly looked back at the boy.

"He's..." Hiccup sat up, interrupting Jack's comment and rubbing his eyes furiously. I stopped playing with Rapunzel's hair and looked concerned at my friend. "It's alright," Jack told him softly, rubbing the back of his arm. "Wanna tell us what happened?" He asked. Hiccup shook his head, not moving his hands from his face. Jack brought him into an embrace, holding him as if the boy's life depended on it.

"Hiccup," I asked softly. "Was it the same as last night?" I asked. He nodded into the embrace. Silence followed.

This pattern lasted every morning until we had to leave, then, as always it was followed by him leaving to fly with Toothless. When he calmed down enough he joined us again. "So, Toothless is a dragon, right?" Rapunzel asked as he guided her to the garden.

"Yeah, I thought you'd want to meet him before he leaves." Hiccup smiled at her.

"He's leaving?" Jack asked confused. Hiccup looked back at the two of us, he looked tired, which he was. "I wanted another ride." He pouted a little and I laughed at him.

"I can take everyone out before Gobber comes." He said before opening the door to the garden. We walked out and Rapunzel took everything in.

"Wow," she breathed before Toothless bounded over. She squeaked with joy and ran over to him as if they'd met before. Toothless enjoyed the attention.

"He likes you," Hiccup noted going over to the. "We'll be back soon, then you can get a turn Jack." He settled into Toothless's saddle and helped Rapunzel up. After waving he launched into the air. We took a seat on benches across from each other.

"You were going to tell me about the day you met Hiccup?" I asked him, he looked nervous but nodded.

"I thought you should know, you are his best friend." He paused. "It was the first day of classes and we were in Defense Against the Dark Arts. Our houses had the class together. The Professor had given us a simple stunning spell to work on."

"I remember that." I noted.

"Hiccup and I had been partnered together and I mispronounced the spell. I accidentally cursed him." He didn't look up at me. "He was brought to the hospital wing and I hated myself. I promised him, well an unconscious him, that I'd never lift a wand to him, nor participate in Snotlout’s bullying."

"But you stood in the sidelines?" She glared.

"I tried to stop it," Jack said sighing. "I didn't want to see him get beat up but they were my only friends."

"You could've been friends with Hiccup." I noted, he looked away.

"It's your turn." He told me, I sighed.

"I met Hiccup, by accidentally punching him in the face." I said and he looked at me shocked. "A ghost had frightened me so I just punched it, not knowing the boy was behind it."

"Well, that's a nice way to make yourself known." He noted.

"Yeah, I asked him if I could do anything to make it up to him and he just said he'd think about it then left." I paused. "A few weeks passed before I ran into him, and caught him as he fell out of a bathroom soaking wet."

"The Twins." Jack mumbled.

"After he was cleaned and dried, he asked me for the favor." I glanced at him. "He wanted a friend."

"That sounds like something he'd ask for." Jack said. "That's why you suddenly started hanging out with him during free times?"

"How could I say no?" She shrugged. "Everybody knew Hiccup by that point, he was an outcast just like I was. He was my first friend at school. Though I think Rapunzel and him had been friends so I wasn't his. But you've seen her, not to social unless it's something she's interested in or you drag her into the conversation." Jack nodded. There was a long pause before Toothless landed on the ground.

"That was fun," Rapunzel noted as Hiccup helped her climb down. "It reminded me of-"

"Spring." Hiccup finished and the girl nodded.

"You felt it too?"

"I've gotten into the habit of comparing all my flights to seasons. Or night and day, things like that." He said. "Merida's summer, Jack's Winter, his little sister reminds me of flying through snow." He shrugged.

"What about yourself?" She asked.

"I... haven't decided." He answered. "Haven't paid much attention to it."

"You should, next time you go by yourself." She said smiling. "Jack it's your turn!" She turned away from Hiccup and bouncing over to the benches. He got up.

"Well, that ends our conversation." He noted, waving before heading over to Hiccup and Toothless. They left as soon as he was settled. Rapunzel sat next to me.

"When did you meet Hiccup, or really started to be his friend?" I asked her. She thought about it.

"First day of classes was when I noticed him. I mean, it's hard not to notice the smallest boy in our class, but..." She drifted. Watching a butterfly float by. "Did Jack tell you about it?"

"Yeah." I nodded.

"I was the one that brought him to the Hospital Wing." She explained. "No one else would do it, so I carried him up. He's extremely light." She paused. "I think... that curse is why Hiccup's having these dreams." She said.

"A full year later?" She shook her head.

"I think the first one was that day." She responded. "He talks about his dreams as if the spirits in it are real, and I read about them somewhere. Spirits are supposed to be protectors of the mortal race, they're what give us our magical abilities. Each of us has one, but... It's just a theory but... he might have two?" She wondered, then shook her head. "When I was reading about it, it told said that there are some extremely dangerous spirits that can't be born into hosts, one's named Pitch Black, he's a spirit of nightmares and darkness. The only way he gain entrance to a host is if they're dying."

"You think that this... Pitch Black is in Hiccup?" I asked, raising her eyebrow.

"He did almost die." She responded. "His last host was defeated here in the school. Lord Voldemort. He could've been larking around the castle, waiting for a new host. Only, Hiccup's own spirit is stronger than he anticipated." She paused, as if thinking about saying something, then dismissing it. "He's extremely attune to the spiritual world, that's why he's so good at understanding everything."

"I thought it was just because his magic is nature based."

"There's that too," she nodded. "But I'm sure he senses everyone's spirits and how they react to things. He's learned to adapt to this and can use spiritual energy to befriend anything. Not that he's aware of it." She glanced at me. "I believe, he's hosting the spirit of Autumn."

"Autumn?" I repeated, raising my eyebrow.

"Yes, I would be Spring." She said. "You Summer, and Jack Winter. Which would explain how easily we're becoming friends, our spirits compliment each other."

"If what you're saying is true, then that means we were all meant to be friends?" I asked. She nodded. "Then, where does this second spirit you talked about come in?"

"That's complicated." She frowned, looking as the Dragon flew by overhead. "If it's true, and he does have two spirits in him, that being Pitch and Autumn, then we'll find out in a few days." She said. "The mark of a year."

"From when the curse was put on him..." She nodded.

"He'd be strongest on that day."

"Should we tell them?" I asked.

"I want to see if my theory is correct first." She answered. "If it is, then yes."


	5. V

=Hiccup=

The last night I felt their presences. I sat alone in the garden and their images appeared in front of me. You can't keep me off of him forever. The darker figure said, as he solidified into a man, his cloths were pitch black, his hair messy and black. Skin gray and eyes glowing gold. His hand gestured at me.

You're still weak Pitch, the second figure said, he was shorter than the first but still much taller than me. He was lean, and in cloths that reminded me of Autumn. Like my hair, it was a warm brown and his cheeks dotted with freckles like mine. He turned to me and smiled, his eyes were dark green.

"Who...?"

"I'm sorry for bothering you." The smaller one said. "I'm Autumn, your spirit and protector." He bowed.

"Don't show off, that's my job you rat." The taller one said. Autumn ignored him.

"We don't normally reveal ourselves to our witches or wizards but, you've become aware of us." Autumn told me. "I would've rather have met you alone, as it should've been. But Pitch," he gestured to the taller one. "Has decided to try and take over your body."

"What?" I stared wide eyed at them.

"Mmm, yes." Pitch inspected me. "You're smaller than I had hoped." He shrugged. "But holding one of the seasonal spirits means that you're strong. I just simply had to take advantage of your near death state last year."

"Near death..." I frowned remembering the accident at the beginning of the year.

"Yes, and I would've taken control of your body had this rat not been here to stop me." Pitch growled.

"Please ignore him." Autumn said to me, walking over and sitting next to me on the bench. "I've been doing all I can to keep him at bay." He informed me. "But, I can only do so much with you being untrained."

"Untrained?"

"In our magic, well, my magic but you can use it. The stronger you are at using it the stronger I get. This will help me keep Pitch away from you until we're able to merge." He hesitated. "Of course you wouldn't know about that." He bit his lip for a moment, like I do sometimes when I'm thinking or nervous, then brightened. "Here," he snapped his fingers and a pile of leaves started falling around us. They drew together and a book landed lightly on my lap. "It explains what we are, Pitch and I, and how we work with mages like yourself." I opened it and saw the title.

"Spirits?" I asked, glancing up at Autumn. "Like the things in my dreams?" He nodded.

"Your dreams of late have been the spiritual connections between the seasonal spirits. You would represent Fall, or Autumn because I'm your spirit. You were born with me." He explained. "This book will tell you all about it, as well as secondary spirits like Pitch who cannot be born into a Witches or Wizards. Instead they enter a body when they encounter someone who is at the brink of death." I nodded slowly, sort of understanding what he was saying. "It will become easier to process what I'm saying when you start learning how to use our powers."

"Oh, you're including me in this?" Pitch asked, I looked up at the darker spirit.

"If he chooses to learn from you, I can't stop him." Autumn answered the man. "I advise against it," he winked at me. Pitch sat next to me on my other side.

"Listen," he said, "you like learning things right? And you're this big time Dragon slayer now." He added. "You don't want to stick around with losers like Autumn, he'll only drag you down. Now with me," he paused pressing a hand to his chest. "I can take you places, make you a big shot." He explained. "I can help you get that girl," he held out a hand and a shadow version of Astrid formed in his hand, "or who's that boy you like?" Jack replaced her. "Anyone you want."

"I-" I felt dizzy.

"We'll give you some time to think about this," Autumn told me gently.

"We will?" Pitch asked, Autumn shot him a look.

"Call us, oh gods, when did I start including you in things?" Autumn glared at Pitch.

"I'm a likeable guy," he shrugged.

"Just call us when you've made a decision. I won't force you into anything, can't say anything about him."

"I think it's a fair trade, if you can teach him things, I get too." He shrugged. "I'm all about fair trade."

"Until you're angry." Autumn rolled his eyes then looked back at me.

"How can I call you?" I asked.

"We're apart of you." He smiled at me. "We don't have to appear for you every time, you can talk with us in your mind." He explained, "just ask for us. Or one of us, you can call us separately."

"Alright..." I nodded.

"I'll summon someone to help you back to your room." He told me, I knitted my eyebrows.

"Why?" I asked confused. He just smiled at me and vanished into a mist of leaves.

"Later kid," Pitch said and I felt his presence vanish. My eyes drifted close and I felt exhausted. When I opened them again I felt like I was moving, someone was carrying me up stairs. I held onto them tighter, surprising him but he didn't stop until we were back in my room. I dropped to the ground and wobbled, nearly falling to the ground.

"Careful." Jack's voice reached me and I looked up at who had carried me here. He helped me over to the bed then set something down on my side. "You okay? I found you sleeping on the bench in the garden."

"I'm..." My voice cracked and I blushed a little. "I'm fine, tired." I responded. He nodded, "I was... sleeping?" I asked and he laughed a bit.

"Yeah," he nodded. "Laying on a bench. I know we did a lot today but I didn't think it would leave you that exhausted." He chuckled a bit. "Where'd the book come from?" He wondered, noting to the thing he had set down on the side table. I looked at it, and it took me a few moments to remember how I received it.

"It's from home." I lied, feeling as if I shouldn't tell the truth. He nodded.

"Ah, well." He looked nervously around the room. "We should get to sleep, heading back to Hogwarts tomorrow." He explained, I nodded and moved to get under the blankets. He did the same on the other side. "Night Hiccup,"

"Night Jack..." That night my dream changed once again, behind the Autumn spirit was a black mist, it crept up on him and I had a feeling that if he collided with it, bad things would happen.

The beginning of the school year seemed to flash by, there was the initial shock when Jack started hanging around me and Merida, and not as much when Rapunzel was seen with us as well. And I hadn't been bullied, at least yet. Each night I would read a section of the book Autumn gave to me, but I hadn't had time alone to call for him or Pitch. My dream stayed the same for a few days, then changed slightly as the spirits moved closer by a few centimeters. Then, when I finally finished the book late on a Friday night I decided that I needed to talk to the spirits.

Gobber had sent me a letter earlier in the week, telling me that Toothless was here and ready for me whenever I had time to see him. It would be a good excuse to get away from my friends with. I'd have to start flying him every day again and would ask Gobber to grant me permission to be his assistant again this year, so I would be able to wake earlier than the other students and fly Toothless. "I'm meeting Gobber for lunch today." I told Rapunzel and Jack when we exited the great hall from breakfast. Merida had gotten used to my running off every Saturday so she didn't comment. "He sent me a letter earlier this week remember?"

"That was from him?" Jack wondered, I nodded.

"He keeps a weekly tab on me for dad." I admitted, this was true. "Sense I don't send him a letter regularly." I shrugged.

"Sounds lame." Jack shrugged. "When do you get back?" He wondered.

"Usually before dinner." I responded.

"That's all day." He complained, "what are we supposed to do all day without you here?" He asked, whining a little.

"You could do homework." I suggested. "It's what Merida did last year." I explained. Jack made a face. "Yesterday you were complaining about being behind in homework already, you need the day for it." I reminded him.

"Doesn't mean I like it." He scowled but let me go when lunch drew near. When getting to Gobbers I spent maybe fifteen minutes with him, summing up my week so he could tell my dad then heading out to the forbidden forest to the clearing that was Toothless's home. He was excited to see me, and overly excited to fly, which I'm sure he hadn't done since Gobber picked him up not too long ago. Then, we landed near the lake so he could catch himself something to eat.

"Alright," I said to myself wondering how this would work. How was I just supposed to call for... They stood in front of me, bickering about something I didn't catch then noticed their surroundings.

"Haven't been here in a while." Pitch said to himself before seeing me. "Hiccup, took long enough!" Autumn looked at me and smiled.

"Have you come to a decision?" He asked and I nodded.

"I'll train with you, uh, both." I added quickly. "Like Pitch said it's only fair but... if I don't like something I'm going to stop." I was mostly looking at Pitch for that, he looked innocently away from me. "I mean, you were in the book and I've been taught about the people you um... gained access to? None if their story's were good ones."

"Well, I am a dark spirit." Pitch responded, shrugging it off. "My way of looking at things are well, not accepted by most people." He moved to stand next to me and wrapped his arm around my shoulder. "But you're the accepting type, you like to give everything a chance. Trust me, you won't be disappointed." He said. Autumn looked wary at Pitch.

"But, I'll start training with Autumn." I told him getting the darker spirit to roll his eyes.

"Your body, your choice." He said slightly irritated. "I'll be over here in the shade watching you learn." He walked off to lounge under a tree. I looked to Autumn and he gave me a small smile.

"I'm glad you accepted." He told me. "It'll all be simple things first, I'm sure you understand the basic contents after reading the book. But it's tiring to learn as much as you'll be." He told me. "How often..."

"Once a week, I might be able to get some more time but I am in school." I responded. He nodded.

"Once a week is perfect," He smiled. "It'll be tiring as I said, so for a while a week is the amount of resting time you'll need between sessions." He explained before we started. We spent two hours working on simple things, summoning leaves was the easiest. Then creating walls with them as well as using them as a mist to cover myself up. "These are the most basic," he said to me sympathetically after I collapsed after the second hour finished and Pitch stood ready for his turn. "It might help if you practice during the break, you'll learn to control it faster." He said kindly before helping me up.

Toothless had sat down to watch me and the two spirits train, he inspected them but didn't near us. When Pitch took over from Autumn I noticed a major change in teaching style. While Autumn was kind and patient, Pitch seemed to want to rush into everything. But the simplest thing for him, summoning darkness and shielding himself in it, was extremely difficult for me.

"It's because you haven't been around me as long as you have him." Pitch complained after his two hours were up. "Now if we were to merge." He said and Autumn was on him.

"You will not-" He gripped the taller spirit's shirt, dragging him closer to him.

"It's up to Hiccup, I know. You've told me repetitively." The darker spirit shook Autumn off as if he were a fly. "Well, at least you can shield yourself in darkness now, we won't have to go over that again." I nodded a bit, remembering what I had read about merging with a spirit. In normal cases someone would not change, they and their spirit would become one and their power would enhance. Making them much stronger than they had been before. But an angered spirit can take over the body of their host, using it as they pleased.

"You did great Hiccup," Autumn told me, smiling. "But you should be getting back, supper will be starting soon and your friends will worry." I nodded. "If you ever need anything don't hesitate to ask," he told me and the two spirits vanished. Toothless trotted over to me and we went back. I arrived back in the castle after dinner started, but I wasn't the only late arrival so I didn't make a seen. I slid next to Rapunzel at our table and started filling my plate, starving.

"Did you have fun?" She asked and I nodded, stuffing my face and swallowing.

"I'll have to take you out sometime." I told her before thinking, she just smiled at me.

"I'm sure the time out with Gobber is something you should keep for yourself." She told me and we ate in silence for a bit. "What do you do?" She wondered.

"We had lunch, then went out into the forbidden forest with Hagrid to take care of the animals." I responded, she smiled at me.

"That sounds fun." I nodded. After dinner, the two of us waited for Jack and Merida just outside the great hall. "I've been looking into dream magic and dreams," she told me. "To see if I could help figure out what you had been dreaming about."

"Find anything?" I wondered.

"A few things," she nodded. "I'll tell you when we find a place to be alone, with the others." I nodded and the two walked over bickering over the work they had worked on.

"You look tired." Jack noted, I shrugged.

"I'm awake enough." I responded, though I was exhausted. We went off to our usual place, a empty classroom on the first floor. "Alright then, what did you find?" I asked Rapunzel. She pulled out her wand and summoned the books. Each had strange labels in different languages I couldn't read.

"French and German." She told us, indicating that she was trilingual. "Each of them mentioned that dreams were messages from our guardians." She told us, "and people with reacquiring dreams are closer spiritually to these guardians." She explained opening the first book to a page with a picture of a child and a light glowing around him. "The guardian's are supposed to guide us in the right direction."

It's a good assumption, Autumn said in my head, I didn't jump in shock but I was. We are, well, I'm here to protect you. I don't know what Pitch wants. He said to me.

"The dreams you have could be a message from yours, well, if you want to believe it." She offered.

"It's reasonable." I responded.

"Has it changed?" Merida asked, I nodded.

"It wasn't much, they had gotten closer, but that's it. It's still pretty far away." I said.

"Well, maybe they had been pushed closer." Jack offered.

"Maybe," I agreed, then paused before explaining the theory I had before before Autumn had revealed himself to me.

You're extremely perceptive. Autumn complimented me.

Thanks, I responded to him, and I could tell that he was smiling.

"That theory reminds me of us." Merida commented. "I mean, you didn't start having the dream until we all agreed to be friends. Well, at least Jack, you and me. Didn't you say that the second dream three of the four had been connected but after Rapunzel joined they were all bound?" I nodded. "So what if this spirit of yours was telling you to be friends with us?" She asked.

"Well, I'd thank him for it." I responded, "I'm glad you're all my friends."

You were drawn to them without my help. Autumn told me. You're all bound together, meant to be together. We parted not long after that and returned to the dorms.

Several weeks passed like this, at an easy pace where I would practice both my magic's and learn more about my friends and myself. Then one day, when I had been using some of the black magic Merida had gotten hurt. It was an accident, I had been alone and trying what Pitch had taught me the week before. Sending a black mist across the room and creating shapes, images of people in it. It had been starting to work when she walked in, the shadow I had created attacked her and before I could stop it, it bruised her ribs.

"I'm sorry," I sat next to her, my head bowed and swearing to myself that I would stop using Pitch's magic. If it was only going to harm people than I didn't want anything to do with it. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry." I repeated until she pulled me into a hug, shutting me up.

"Hiccup you didn't-" She started.

"I made that thing!" I told her, tears falling down my cheeks and I pulled away from her. "If I hadn't... if I didn't make it, you wouldn't be hurt." I told her.

"Do you expect me to believe that you made that shadow?" She asked, I nodded. "That's bull,"

"Look," I cupped my hands together and a pool of shadows flooded out of it, without my consent it started transforming in my hand, into a stake and my eyes widened. It tried to attack her again and I grabbed it, it pierced through my hand before vanishing. I cradled my stinging hand. "I'm sorry, I didn't know that I couldn't control it. I almost hurt you again. I'm sorry,"

"We're not having that." She told me, calling to Madam Pomfrey and the woman rushed over.

"Oh dear," she checked over my hand. "How did-" she froze after further inspection before starting to work. She managed to heal it completely but a black mark stayed. "You're not to leave here until I say." She told me before rushing off.

"Hiccup, how'd ya do that?" Merida demanded of me.

I hesitated before answering her. "The spirits." I told her, before explaining everything, and showing her a sample of the other powers I had, they didn't betray me as the shadow's had. "They've been teaching me how to control it." I finished.

"That's amazing." She said, bewildered. "But, you say that this Pitch isn't your spirit? He's just inside ya?" I nodded.

"Pitch Back?" The voice startled us and the headmaster, Professor North stood there. Madam Pomfrey brought him over to me and showed him my hand. He had a grim expression on his face. "This is bad." He said, turning and pacing along the line of cots. "This is very bad. Quickly, explain this to me." He said, I retold the story and he nodded, making sour faces at some parts but didn't interrupt while I spoke. "I see," he said once I finished. "Well, I advise you no longer accept help from Pitch Black." He said, "and it is good to see that Autumn is protecting you from him. He is bad man." He explained. "I will need to speak with your spirit though. If you do not mind."

"N-Not at all." I said, calling for Autumn. The boy appeared next to me, scaring Merida. She stared wide eyed at him as he turned to meet North. They spoke quickly, and in another language. Autumn not needing to ask why he was there, having been able to see and hear everything that had happened. He explained it to me a while ago. As long as he remains my primary spirit, and I trust and accept him, he can see, hear and feel everything I do. Our thoughts can even connect.

"We will have to find way to separate Pitch from Hiccup." North finally said in English.

"The other seasons can help." Autumn responded. North thought about this.

"It is dangerous to wake them before ready." He noted.

"It could be our only chance." Autumn said sighing. "I can only do so much, as soon as Pitch realizes that Hiccup won't accept him anymore, he'll start attacking me trying to take my place."

"This is problem." North started to pace again. "So, the only reason Pitch hasn't tried to take him is because Hiccup has been training with him?"

"At the moment yes, and he's still weak." Autumn agreed.

"Then the boy keeps training." North said.

"Pitch will catch on, and it's dangerous. Merida was attacked," he gestured to her. "And Hiccup doesn't want to use that magic any more." North sighed.

"Then there's no other choice." He frowned, turning to Madam Pomfrey. "Send for Jack Frost and Rapunzel Corona. Dismiss them from their classes for the remainder of the day, as well as these two." She nodded and left us. Silence followed and Autumn took a seat next to me. Taking my injured hand and looking at it. The black started to recede but didn't completely vanish.

"That's all I can do," he said to me. "I bring forth death not life like my sister." He explained.

"So, you're a spirit?" Merida asked him, he looked at her and nodded. "Wow, this is... wow..." He smiled a bit.

"Shocking?" He asked, she nodded. "It can be," he agreed. "But you'll get used to it." He said, "I'm sorry, if there were any other way to help Hiccup I wouldn't ask to wake your, and your friend's spirits so early." He said, "but my brother and sisters are quite nice." He smiled a bit.

"Summer," I said quietly for only them to hear and Autumn remained silent for a few moments after.

"You think...?" He asked but Jack and Rapunzel had arrived. Both confused and shocked when seeing Merida sitting on a bed. They rushed over asking a ton of questions and it was a few minutes before the three of us had the chance to explain.

"I'm alright." Merida finally said when she had the chance. "Just a wee accident," she lied. "It's nothing." She said before pausing. "Hiccup's the one we should be worrying about." She added before I could protest. Rapunzel looked up at me first, then noticed the spirit next to me.

"Who..." She started then saw my hand. "What happened to your hand? It's turning gray." I glanced at it, the small circle that had been there was starting to spread.

"I can't stop it Hiccup," Autumn told me, worried and annoyed with Pitch. I took my hand back and hid it in my robes. "Maybe Spring could, when she wakes." He said quietly. I glanced at the two friends on the opposite side of the cot.

"It's complicated." I told them, looking down. "Uh... this is Autumn," I introduced the boy next to me.

"Oh, good. You are here!" North said to them, nodding in approval. "There is much to discuss." The next hour was filled with explanations, lots of questions and much confusion.

"I'm curious," Jack looked at me. "When have you had the time to even have these lessons?" He asked, I blushed.

"When I visit Gobber each week." I answered, not looking at them. "I spend a lot of time in the forbidden forest and use it for that..."

"That explains why you're out for so long." He noted, I gave a sheepish smile.

"Hiccup," North grabbed my attention. "I think, you should call Pitch." He said to me.

"What?" My eyes widened. "I can't even control his magic I won't be able to stop him if he tries anything."

"Pitch won't try anything with me here." North dismissed my fear. "I fought him before, no big deal." I stared at him, unsure, then looked at Autumn who looked as wary as I felt about it.

"Give it a try," he told me. After a moment I nodded and called for the darker spirit.

"Finally!" Pitch complained making Merida jump as he appeared sitting on the end of her bed, he stood and stretched. "You know it get's lonely without company, and I swear, it's been hours since Autumn left." He looked around at everyone. "Oh we're having a gathering," he said. "Well, not worth my time," he pointed to Jack. "Not worth my time," Rapunzel, "you're that girl my shadow's attacked." Merida. Autumn grabbed onto Pitch.

"You went after her?" He hissed.

"Maybe," Autumn punched him, making him stumble backwards into the bed again.

"That was rude," He commented before appearing next to me. "Hiccup, calm your spirit please." He wrapped an arm around my shoulder. I flinched away from him. "Aw, c'mon kid I told you that the shadows aren't trustworthy. Not my fault your friend walked in while you were using them."

"You poisoned him." Autumn accused.

"Well, if we want to be technical Jack poisoned him." Pitch argued. "Last year, remember?" I saw Jack pale.

"You chose to slip in," Autumn hissed. "No one else gets the blame but you."

"Oh c'mon, what else do you expect me to do?" Pitch rolled his eyes. "Wait around another few years for the next child that almost dies? I take what I get."

"You pathetic piece of sh-"

"Autumn," North cut him off. "There are children in the room."

"Oh wonderful," Pitch rolled his eyes. "You're here. What, am I on the naughty list?"

"There is special list reserved for you." North respond. "My kill list." Pitch only rolled his eyes.

"Clearly I'm not wanted here." He noted. "I'll take my leave," Autumn made to grab him but Pitch just vanished.

"I'm going to murder him." Autumn scowled. "Did that accomplish anything North?"

"It showed the kids what they were up against." North noted. "More than we would've been able to explain." Autumn groaned in frustration and sat back down. "Now we need to wake their spirits, so they can start training."

"You can have fun with that." Autumn responded.

"I will not be the one doing the waking. Elsa will." Autumn looked up, confused for a moment before the blond entered the hospital wing.

"You called for me?" She asked, shyly stepping into the room and looking at us all.

"Yes, come here." North waved her over and she came, Elsa was in our grade. She was a Slytherin like Jack but kept to herself for the most part. "I ask for favor, these three need to have their spirit's awakened. You are only one who can do it." He explained, Elsa looked at them then back to north.

"Why?" She wondered. "They're not ready."

"A complication came up," he said. "And one of them is awake already," he noted to me and Autumn. "Because Pitch-"

"Oh," She nodded. "So, they need to train and be ready for..." her voice drifted but she nodded. "I can do it." She finally said. "It'll be slow, but it's the safest way." She said.

"Perfect, I also request that you help them with training." North said. "This is your choice but it'll make things easier." The way North was explaining this it was as if he expected Pitch to win and take over my body.

It's likely, Autumn told me privately. I have been worrying about it for a year now, the only thing that put a resistance on his battle with me was that you willingly agreed to learn how to use his magic. I didn't respond, trying not to think of what will happen after this. Pitch is surely going to start fighting for control now.

"Move to the cots," she told Rapunzel and Jack and they didn't question her. She glanced at me. "You should watch this," she told me. "It's a useful skill to know, though rarely used." She started with Merida, making her lay back on the cot and then hovering her hands over Merida's body and slowly moving them back and forth. It looked like she was imitating waves washing up on a shore and after high tide Merida started glowing. She didn't push back like she had before, instead a hand moved over Merida's head and gently rested on her forehead. When she pulled away, the light followed and formed into a body, then grew features. Her hair was fire, flickering like such. Her skin light tan, and eyes glowing a warm brown. She has on an outfit that shimmered as if made out of heat.

"Summer," Autumn said, the brown eyes flickered to him and she smiled.

"Autumn," she responded. "You look different."

"It has been a few hundred years." He agreed smiling at her. Elsa barely glanced at the spirit. Instead she beckoned for me to follow her, I did.

"Think you can do it?" She asked him, moving me over to Rapunzel. "It's fairly simple, you just call the spirit forwards. You'll feel it's energy." She told me, moving my hands to the correct starting position. I nodded and imitated what she had done before, Elsa watched for a moment before moving onto Jack. It didn't take long for the remaining two spirits to be called forwards.

We started training daily with either Elsa or one of the teachers. "Elsa," I asked when it was just me and her. She barely glanced up from the book in her hand, having started to finish school work while I warmed up. "Why do we never see your spirit?" I asked her. She did look up at me this time, taking me in fully.

"I've merged with mine," she responded. "She's become a part of me, completely." She explained and I nodded. I already knew the basic concepts of merging with your spirit. "It was when I was younger," she said, as if deciding that I was ready for this story. "My powers were out of control and I nearly got me and my younger sister killed." She said. I nodded a little, "I think you're ready for an advanced skill." She stood, setting her book down on the desk she had been sitting on, she took off her cloak and rested it on her chair. I hesitated in following the action, when I did I tried to keep my poisoned hand from sight. "It's one of the ways to merge a spirit and wizard, it both binds you to yours and allows you to help bind another spirit and soul together." She explained before teaching me the basic steps. When she finished I hesitated in repeating them.

"What if Pitch takes advantage of it?" I asked worried.

"He shouldn't be able to, as long as Autumn is protecting your soul Pitch can't reach it." She waved off my worries. "Common, I'll help you with it. For a while, it'll be strange, having a combined form." She told me, "but Autumn will help you adapt, then, like always he'll give you advice when you need."

You can do it, Autumn said to me, and I could feel his protective embrace around me. I won't be able to come out anymore, but I'll always be here to help you. He explained, I nodded.

"Then let's start, I'll be your backer, helping bind your souls." She said and we started the technique. It took longer than she had shown with added magic and I felt light. As if my body was being lifted with the autumn wind. But seconds before it ended, I felt pain rip down the side of my body. I gripped onto my head, trying to stop the spinning and hearing a chuckle I know shouldn't be there. "No," Elsa rushed to my side, supporting me as my legs gave out. "He shouldn't have been able to reach you!" She said, helping me to sit.

I clutched my head tighter as the pain grew worse, as if I was fighting with myself, struggling to gain or keep control. In my head I could picture Pitch advancing on Autumn throwing a mass of spells at him and Autumn standing defensively, blocking off all the attacks and occasionally sending his own in return. But Pitch was winning. The door to the room opened and the others entered, it was time for a group lesson. "Stay out!" Elsa called and I felt a chill, as if a block of ice had been placed near me. "Hiccup you have to fight this," she told me, gripping my arms and making me look at her. Her icy blue eyes piercing into mine. I couldn't find my voice to respond to her. "You can't let Pitch win," she told me. Of course I knew that. I didn't want him to win.

In my mind Autumn was starting to gain control over the fight. The pain started to numb. "Hiccup, listen to me, can you hear me?" She asked I nodded. "I'm so sorry," she told me. "I didn't know he was able to disturb this. I'm sorry I put you through this." She told me, "But you need to fight this." She said, I nodded, sending my strength to Autumn. In my head he advanced, pushing Pitch back into the shadows. Then finally, the pain stopped.

Thank you Hiccup, Autumn said to me. I could feel his exhaustion. I started to relax my hands moving away from my head before she caught my poisoned hand. It had spread like wildfire, the small spot it had once consumed now covered my entire hand and was starting to reach up my arm.

This isn't over. Pitch hissed at us both. I'm apart of you now. And my poison will consume you. For a moment I believed him, and fear rippled through me. The gray started to spread again.

Hiccup, I won't let him harm you! Autumn told me sending a warm wind to surround me, then he formed next to us. His hand rested on my arm and the poison receded, back to covering just my hand. "I'll keep him away from you." He said, kneeling next to us. "I swear, for as long as I can I'll keep him away from you. We'll find a way to expel him from you." I looked at him and nodded.

"We have to stop this first." Elsa said to the both of us, gripping at my hand. She glanced up at me. "How long has it been here?"

"Sense the day I stopped using Pitch's magic." I responded. "But it was small before just now." She nodded and traced a finger up my arm to the point where it had stopped earlier, the middle of my forearm.

"This will hurt," she told me. Tracing a circle around my arm, it did hurt, and a band of blue wrapped around where she circled. "Only I can remove this." She told me. "If it ever reaches this point again, you need to find me. Until then we'll look for a cure." I nodded.


	6. VI

=Rapunzel=

I didn't know what to think when Elsa yelled at us to leave. Nor did I understand the wall of ice she put up as a barrier but when it finally melted away she was sitting next to Hiccup, a sad expression on his face as she explained something to him. Autumn stood with his back to us, though his form flickered in and out. Merida was the first to walk over to them, Jack following shortly behind and I walked more slowly. "I suggest talking to North about it." Elsa said to the two. "It's never happened before, in every case with like yours when they do that the second spirit is cast out or locked away."

"Well, we've been expecting Pitch to try something for several weeks now." Autumn said, he sounded distant. "He might have just been saving energy to try this..."

"What's going on?" Merida asked, half glaring at Elsa.

"Pitch decided to reappear." Elsa said, ignoring the glare and looking at the three of us as if we were pests that interrupted something important. Hiccup didn't say anything to it so all we had was the information she provided. He remained secluded for several weeks after, barely talking even when the Quidditch tryouts came. His performance was average at best and he didn't make the cut, not that he wanted too. While Merida was boasting about making Beater on her team and Jack was quite happy with Seeker.

It wasn't until a particularly calm Sunday that he finally kept up a full conversation with one of us. We were sitting in our private emptied classroom and he had been drawing in a sketchbook keeping out of the conversation and just being there. "I wonder how Toothless is." Merida commented, getting the boy to look up.

"He's fine, I'm sure." Hiccup responded, not quite meeting anyone's eyes. "Dad's been looking after him, gives Gobber an update each week."

"Yer dad, looking after a dragon?" Merida smiled a bit. "Ya sure that's safe?" She wondered. He gave a shy smile.

"Not like I can bring him here with me." He noted. "I'm sure he only tries to kill him once a day." He was a bit disturbed by the thought, then winced slightly and rubbed his temple.

"You alright?" Jack asked, it hadn't been the first time he's done this. Whenever some things bothered him lately he's done it.

"Fine," Hiccup dismissed the concern. "Just a headache." His eyes returned to his sketchbook and he tapped his pencil against the bricks we sat on. Then he glanced up. "How's training?" He wondered.

"So boring." Merida said blowing some of her hair out of her face. "Bunnymund keeps having me read all these books and Elsa has been pushing me to my limits. She annoys the 'ell out of me."

"She's not that bad." Jack defended getting Merida to roll her eyes.

"Ya only say that because yer in the same house." She glared at him.

"That's not true," Jack blushed a little. They continued to bicker.

"What about you Rapunzel?" Hiccup turned away from the two. "You're quieter than normal." I lifted the book in my hand, Merida's not the only one with homework from these classes.

"I enjoy training." I responded. "But every keeps focusing on my healing magic not the other things Spring has been teaching me." I explained, he nodded. "I mean, I understand that healing is important but if it comes to it, I'll need to know how to fight. Or at least defend myself."

"I'm sure they'll start teaching you it soon." He said hopefully.

"What about you?" I wondered, the question made him slip back into the shell he had buried himself in.

"I'm mostly strengthening my defensive magic, to help Autumn keep Pitch out..." He looked back at his sketchbook again and picked up his pencil. I noticed that he wasn't using his dominant hand to draw with.

He continued to get more social again, but would always shell up whenever the conversation would be brought back to him. By the time winter vacation rolled in he was back to his normal self. Until the owl landed on the table and held out a leg for him. Hiccup took the letter and gently pet the bird before reading the letter. "Great," he groaned when finishing it. "I have to stay here this break." He explained, tapping the paper before showing it to me.

Hiccup,

Sorry I haven't written sooner but there's been a constant storm hitting Berk. I wouldn't be shocked if Porky here doesn't reach you. I'm asking that you stay at school for the winter holiday this year for safety reasons. Wouldn't wanting you to break your other leg by slipping on some ice. Tell Gobber that I'm sorry I haven't responded in a while, this storm's been destroying the town. The dragon friends of yours have been a good help, always keeping us warm when it gets too cold.

I'll send your gifts early so they make it to ya, you don't have to send back mine until either me or Gobber tell you it's safe for the owl's to fly. Take care of Porky for me.

Love,

Stoic, your dad.

I glanced up at Hiccup who was eating much slower than normal. Which was odd for him because he loves food. His free hand was absently rubbing Porky's head and the large owl didn't seem to mind. "Well, at least you know he's just looking out for you." I commented, he gave me a smile before feeding the bird some bacon and watching it fly off to who knows where. "When will you tell Gobber?" I wondered.

"After lunch like normal." He shrugged. When we finished eating we went to the normal classroom to find Jack and Merida already there with Elsa who joins us on occasions.

"I can't wait to see Izzy," Jack was saying. "I'll have great stories to tell her this year. Like how I'm in the lead for our pranking war."

"His pride is swelling." I noted to Hiccup who just smiled at the comment.

"By three points, that's not much of a lead." Merida commented, crossing her arms over her chest. She noticed the two of us walking towards them. "Well?" She asked. "You look grumpier than usual. What's up?"

"Not going home for the holiday." He responded taking his normal seat against a support beam. "A huge storm has hit Berk, dad told me to stay here." He made a face.

"Well that sucks." She agreed. "Least you'll have company. Punzy is staying too." He glanced at me and I smiled. "It'll be lonely for Toothless though, staying with yer dad."

"He'll manage." Hiccup commented, digging through his bag. "The Easter holiday isn't that far off. I can see him then." He shrugged a bit after taking out his sketchbook and pencil. "So what's everyone doing for Christmas?" He wondered, starting to draw.

"Just going home and celebrating with me family." Merida answered first.

"Mom's taking Izzy and me to the United States for a cruise." Jack answered, bouncing in his seat.

"My sister and I are spending it together." Elsa shrugged, Hiccup glanced at her as if he were using her as a model for his drawing. "What would you have done if you went home?"

"Probably spent most of the time with Toothless." He responding going back to his work. "Christmas with my dad and the village. Hiding from Snotlout, normal things."

"You Rapunzel?" She wondered.

"Both my parent's work most of the holiday," I responded. "They're doctors so they don't normally get Christmas off." I shrugged a bit. "I'd probably be with my Aunt if I stayed." I explained. After lunch we parted ways, Hiccup going to Gobbers so he said his goodbyes to everyone there. Jack and Elsa went to gather their things and Merida gave me a hug before going to gather her belongings. The rest of the evening was uneventful, Hiccup didn't return until after dinner and he looked to be in higher spirits than normal even with missing dinner. We sat but the fire in the common room, being few of the only ones that stayed and drew together.

The first day of vacation we spent mostly in the common room, decorating page after page with art. "Can I see your drawings?" I asked Hiccup as he worked in his sketchbook. I noticed before that he carries more than one on him, this specific one was smaller than the other three. He glanced up at me.

"Sure," he settled himself next to me on the couch and took out another one but set it aside. He flipped through the small sketchbook, I could see diagrams and writing on some pages before finding the first picture. It was of Toothless, he was curled in a ball sleeping. The next picture was of the dragon flying. "These ones are pretty old." He explained, the third was of an island. An aerial view, "this is Berk." He told me. Then there was a detailed drawing of a girl, she was holding an ax that rested on her shoulder in one hand and her other hand was pressed against her hip. She looked annoyed, under her was a name Astrid Hofferson, I knew her. She was in the Gryffindor Quidditch team, a chaser if I remembered right.

"This was before we started school," he explained which is why she looked younger. I nodded and he turned the page, there was a large boy fishing in this one, the name under it was Fishlegs.

"He a friend?" I asked, Hiccup shrugged.

"Haven't seen him in a while, his parents home school him. I guess we used to be friends, but we didn't talk much." He said before turning the page again three people were in it, I recognized them all. Ruffnut and Tuffnut Thorston, Snotlout Jorgenson. The twins were attacking each other and Snotlout was laughing at them. The next picture was of Hogwarts, then the one after that were of Snotlout and his gang, only Jack was standing in the background leaning against something.

"How do you get the pictures so detailed?" I asked him, "I doubt they posed for you."

"I have a good memory," Hiccup responded, smiling sheepishly at me. "I wouldn't call it a photographic memory but it's as close as it gets." He shrugged turning the page. Merida was looking at me, grinning her normal cheeky grin, the next page was her looking out a window bored during a class. Then three boys labeled Harris, Hubert and Hamish Dunbroch. I remembered them as Merida's brothers. Next was Jack and a young girl labeled Isis "Izzy" Frost. The two pictures after were just of them, Jack then Izzy. Then there was me, I was sitting in a windowsill looking out at the world, something I do quite often. The next picture was labeled Autumn and Pitch, the two spirits were standing and talking. Pitch with his arm around Autumn explaining something and Autumn looking annoyed. Then Autumn had his own picture. Last was Elsa Arendell, it looked like the newest entry, she was standing, one arm clutching onto her books while the other hand was held out and a sort of mist was flowing out.

"You're quite talented." I told him. He smiled sheepishly.

"Not as good as you," he told me getting me to blush. He closed the first book and brought over the second.

"What's the difference between this book and the other one?" I asked him, he thought about it.

"The bigger ones are newer." He responded, "I take them out whenever I want to draw just anything." He explained. "This one," he tapped the smaller one. "It was a present from my mother, shortly before she died. I put things that impact my life in it. The first sketches of anything go in here I guess." He shrugged a bit and opened the larger sketchbook. I was met with a picture of Merida poking at a chess board, the first several pictures, at least ten were all of Merida. She had different expressions in each. Bored, tired, excited, angry, disappointed. Each with a different seen and props around her. Then there was me, with an atlas in my hands and Snotlout cowering at it. Then a girl I didn't recognize but she was labeled Anna Arendelle and Merida, Anna was laughing and Merida had a smile on her face, she was holding her hand out, waiting for someone to take it. There were several drawings of different classes, I caught myself in most of them, either sitting next to or in front of Hiccup whose point of view I imagined the images to be in.

Then there was the Hogwarts Express, two large men standing next to each other and Merida's mom next to one of the men. Then it must have been summer, because there were the streets of a small town on an island and Merida was there, some in a forest, the town and eventually a cove with Toothless. A large red and gray dragon settled on a mountain frightened me, there was Merida jumping onto Toothless's back, two other dragons I didn't know and Astrid on one of them. Then a cloud with lightning and red fire I assumed.

After we were in a hospital, and the first picture of Hiccup appeared. He was sitting on a bed with his legs hanging over the edge but one of his legs was wood and metal. His prosthetic. After this image he started incorporating himself into the images more. He and Merida were at DunBroch, there were a few images of them hanging out together before Jack and Izzy, as she was labeled, joined. They seemed to be doing all sorts of things, telling stories, playing in a garden, and one where Merida was in a beautiful dress, her hand on her hip and the other hitting Jack over the head.

"Jack insulted her," Hiccup told me.

"Why, she looks so nice." I glanced at him. He shrugged.

"He was shocked to see her so dressed up." He explained, I nodded. The next picture was of me, hugging Hiccup in the book shop, then we're shopping together, and outside Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, where they all linked pinkies in the muggle promise.

"When do you ever find the time to draw all these?" I asked, looking at us sitting on the train, then following the events leading up until meeting Elsa.

"Classes mostly," He responded. "Sometimes when I can't sleep I'll stay up and draw." There was a strange picture, one where Pitch and Autumn were slitting the page, Autumn taking the right while Pitch was on the left, between them was Hiccup. "Uh... that's..." He tried to find a way to describe it. "Elsa was teaching me a move, to bind a spirit with a soul and I tried it with her help. Pitch interrupted it and managed to split my soul so currently both he and Autumn have it." He explained. "It's why I've been getting so many headaches lately, and why I sort of stopped talking as much." He looked away. "Pitch is trying to get complete control and Autumn is doing what he can to stop him." There was a long silence before I pulled him into a hug.

"Why didn't you tell us?" I asked worried.

"I didn't want to worry you." He responded.

"We've been worried ever since finding out about Pitch being in you." I told him, "Hiccup the reason we're learning to use our spirits is because of him."

"I know, it's just... there's already been enough stress on everyone." He sighed. "Do you want to come with me to visit Gobber tomorrow?" He asked. "It's Christmas so I wanted to spend part of it with him."

"Of course," I smiled at him. We did spend Christmas with him and Hagrid, the two were extremely happy to let us join them. "Where are you taking me?" I asked, laughing a bit at the singing from the drunken men in the hut.

"It's a secret." He smiled, "seriously don't tell anyone." We entered the forbidden forest and he traveled expertly through it before finding a clearing. The black dragon was bounding around in the snow.

"Is that...?" My eyes widened as Toothless looked up, hearing my voice. He danced over to us, tackling us both down to the ground. Hiccup laughed, patting the dragon on his head.

"It's mine and Gobber's secret." He said, smiling after the dragon let us up. He helped me stand and whipped the snow off of himself. "He brought him here so I can take care of him during the school year." He looked at me.

"This is why you disappear every morning?" He nodded.

"I thought it'd be safe to show you." He said sheepishly. "I want you to take care of him if Pitch wins." He pat Toothless's head the dragon purred. There was a long moment of silence. "Want to fly?" He asked, "Hogwarts looks amazing from the sky, and covered in snow."

"Sure," he climbed onto his dragon and helped me up. Then Toothless took off into the sky. The rest of break was spent together with Toothless, then huddled next to the warm fire in the common room drawing pictures and sipping on hot chocolate. Then when everyone returned we exchanged stories, everything was picking back up.

The rest of the year seemed to fly by, sometimes literally with Hiccup and me flying around on Toothless. He even taught me how to fly him, switching out his specially made harness for his prosthetic with the old one he used before. Merida, Elsa and I would tease the boys about stupid things they would do, Jack and Merida played pranks on unsuspecting bullies. Elsa and Hiccup would sometimes disappear after talking about something and glancing over at the three of us. As if they had been planning something only for them to play a prank of their own several minutes later. Being more advanced in spirit magic training than us they both effortlessly pulled stunts that made other students question why they were only in the second year.

We trained with our spirits daily, getting to know them and how to use their powers, I learned a lot about healing. "I think I have a crush on Jack," Elsa confessed to Merida and me one training session while the boys were getting food from the kitchen. "I keep finding myself looking at him and being jealous over stupid things."

"Well why don't ya tell him?" Merida asked in a teasing tone. "The worse he'll do is reject you."

"But, what about Hiccup?" Elsa asked, frowning. "He likes Jack too."

"But he won't do anything about it." Merida shrugged. "Least not yet." I thought about Hiccup and Jack being together, and I could see it. The two were almost always together when they had classes together or just when they found some free time. Hiccup was even helping Jack study for the end of the year exams coming up.

"What if he rejects me?" Elsa asked, worried. "And he doesn't want to be around me any more?" She wondered.

"He won't push you away like that." I said, putting my hand on her arm. "He's too loyal to just push you away because you told him that you liked him. He'll still be your friend." I promised.

"Just tell him." Merida pushed. "There's no harm in it." And there wasn't, in fact Elsa was extremely happy with the result and Jack agreed to try dating her. The first thing she did was grab her sister and told the younger girl the news. Then came to us, hugged us and thanked us.

Merida laughed at her enthusiasm and we spent the next few days surrounding Hiccup and his smaller sketchbook as he secretly (as in, unknown to Elsa and Jack) drew the pair sitting together at a desk and holding hands. Elsa smiling and looking at Jack while he brushed some loose hair out of her face. Under it he labeled them and wrote: 'Took them long enough' and 'second year's' to which Merida laughed and gained Jack's attention while he and his girlfriend were trying to figure out the best way to finish the essay Professor Toothiana, their transfiguration teacher, had assigned them. Jack snuck over to the three trying to sneak a peek at what Merida was laughing about but only caught Hiccup putting away the sketchbook.

"You know Jack," Hiccup commented. "You should finish your homework, it's due next period." He noted to the boy who just scowled at him and went back to work. The end of the year rolled in and the final exams passed leaving us a few days to breath before our results came in. We sat near the lake while Elsa and Hiccup practice fought against each other, which we've seen multiple times since training with her started. Jack was giving commentary to the fight, sometimes distracting one of the two and letting the other get a hit in and making the boy laugh while Merida braided my hair.

"Hiccup!" The voice startled everyone and the duel stopped. Hiccup turned to see Astrid running over, she stopped a few feet away, panting. "Hospital wing." She told him, trying to catch her breath. "Snotlout's there..." I couldn't read the expression of Hiccup's face as the name came out of her mouth, but he nodded and the two ran off.

"What's that about?" I asked, "why would Hiccup care if Snotlout's in the Hospital wing?" I wondered, not exactly knowing what it is between the two of them. I just knew that Snotlout often bullies Hiccup, even with the four of us backing him up.

"I know he's soft hearted and all, but..." Jack commented.

"Snotlout's Hiccup's cousin." Merida told us, silencing the confusing thoughts. "He visited Hiccup in the hospital last summer when he was there after fighting the Red Death." She explained. "That's where I found out." She stood, patting the dirt off of herself. "I'm going to see what's going on." She said leaving us and following after Hiccup and Astrid.

"Let's go," Elsa told us and we quickly followed after. The hospital wing was quite bare, not many people wanting to be up here in this weather but Tuffnut and Ruffnut, Astrid and Hiccup were all standing around a bed where Snotlout was sitting.

"So, you had Astrid run all the way down to the lake to get me because you were in the forbidden forest and nearly trampled by a centaur that looked like my dragon?" Hiccup asked, which was a bit of a funny story considering Toothless had been taken back home the day before. "Are you delusional?" He asked, trying not to laugh.

"I'm not kidding, it was black and had wings just like your night fury. And it wasn't a centaur!" Snotlout complained.

"The hove print on your arm says otherwise." Astrid noted, crossing her arm. "Honestly, you probably hit your head." At this point we had decided to sneak out of the room and head to our normal meeting classroom. Which thankfully was nice and cool.

When it was time for us to go our separate ways, after getting off the Hogwarts Express back in Lyndon we all decided to meet at least a twice over the summer. Which was seemingly easy to do because Jack wasn't going to be to busy this summer and Elsa had few plans other than spending time with her sister and something about building snowmen. Merida was pretty free for most of the summer, she just had to keep up with her Princess duties and Hiccup didn't think he would be learning much over the summer after his father said he would grow up to be a great viking chief.

I for my part didn't anything planned for the summer, and would be glad to leave my little town to go somewhere more adventurous. Which happened almost right away, Elsa had invited me to stay at her castle where we spent the week together with her younger sister Anna building snowmen with snow Elsa created and drawing, I got to use a bunch of paints that we didn't have at home. The best part of the paints were that if I enchanted them, which I wouldn't be able to do until we were back in Hogwarts, they would move like the paintings all around the school.

"So," Elsa said to me one day while we were laying on her bed pretending to sleep because there was no way we were getting to sleep, we were visiting DunBrun tomorrow for Merida's birthday and everyone would be there. "Is there anyone you like?" She asked me and the question kept me thinking the rest of the night.

"I don't think so," I had answered to which she shrugged and proceeded to make snowflakes in her hand in different shapes. "If Jack's spirit is Winter, what's yours?" I wondered after watching the snowflake dancing around.

"It's hard to explain," she responded. "Because like Jack I can make all the winter elements ice, snow, cold wind. I guess his is defined as the season, whose powers are linked with the other seasons while I'm more free." She shrugged. With that we both drifted to a restless slumber where we were too excited to actually sleep properly.

Merida's was more fun than it should've been because there were too many people around even after the birthday party where she happily turned 13 and accidentally shot a turkey that was plucked and prepared for dinner the following day. Anna came with us, as well as Jack's little sister who I finally got to meet. Where Hiccup and his party came, his dad and Gobber who spent the whole of the day with Fergus talking about everything and anything to do with war. Fishlegs, who I had recognized from one of Hiccup's drawings had joined him and Hiccup was explaining to the timid guy things that he missed out in school, as well as introduced him to Merida, Elsa, Jack and myself and easily joined our group for everything. Astrid had also tagged along, with her dragon who was outside with the other dragons Hiccup and his gang had rode in on, the dragons now becoming an everyday part of life in Berk.

Izzy, Jack's little sister enjoyed playing with my hair which had grown much longer and now reached the floor. She was ecstatic for after this summer she would be joining us in Hogwarts to which Merida's brothers were grumpy about, complaining that they would have to be in the same grade as her. But I think they liked the fact that they would have a friend to see other than themselves when they got on the train that first day.

I didn't spend much time there, just a few days because my parents wanted me home again when we visited our family in the United States for their independence day. And there isn't much to say about it other than the fireworks were okay. Then I was visiting Jack at his home, where we didn't spend a lot of time outdoors because it was cold year round. For a few days it was just me, him and Merida before Elsa was able to come then another few days before Hiccup joined us and by then I refused to leave the fire. We spend a few days at my house afterwards, which in my opinion was quite boring compared to the other places we stayed at then finally I got to visit Berk for the first time.

Dragon's were everywhere, some helping the vikings with chores while others just flew around. Merida had made us keep quiet about our showing up at Berk, her and Astrid planned it so that we would be here for the last few weeks of summer and it to be a complete surprise for Hiccup, who, as Astrid told us when we arrived, had been down in spirit's lately and needed some cheering up. When we arrived there wasn't much going on, Astrid explained that the village was preparing to build a dragon flying training school, and was dedicating it to Hiccup today, and the boy was currently taking Toothless out for a walk in the woods.

"You're going to be there when we reveal the school to him." She told us, walking down the path that led to the new school. "He needs the cheer up, always answering everyone's questions and working with everyone to adapt to the new life. Stoic noticed it too, the few break's he's had to visit you all made him the happiest."

His face was completely shocked when he was given the school, unsure about it at first as if this were some sort of joke then extremely happy that the younger Viking's would learn how to live with dragons from here on out. Then he was straight up shocked when we all tackled him, after his shock faded, confusion set it and I noticed that he looked cute when he was confused and trying to figure something out. After the confusion he was ecstatic and we spend the next few hours answering all his questions. Elsa's question from earlier that summer popped into my head.

'Do you like anyone?'

For the first time all summer, I had an answer. Yeah, I do.


	7. VII

=Hiccup=

When we arrived back to Hogwarts that third year I didn't expect anything to have been this way two years ago. Walking with a group of friends mix-matched from different houses. I thought I would have one, maybe two friends and be invisible to most people. But I was glad for the friends I did have, Merida and her always eager and determined attitude. Jack and his pranks, Rapunzel whom I had grown quite close too. Elsa, who I liked a lot and enjoyed her company. As well as Anna her sister who would occasionally join us during breaks in our classroom. And then Astrid who I no longer had a crush on, then after the first few weeks a two boy's named Kristoff and Hans Oken who both had taken to Anna though she hadn't noticed. That started the year rolling.

As September passed and October approached we planned a surprise party for Jack who's birthday would be coming up on the tenth. The day was spent pretending to be ignorant of the fact that it was his birthday then after dinner heading to our room and spending the evening enjoying ourselves with party games, cake and watching Jack open his presents.

Merida and Rapunzel had pulled together some money and gotten him a blue sweatshirt, enchanted to always fit him and that had snowflakes floating down it, literally. Anna had given him some candy from the sweets shop in Hogsmeade while Elsa's present was a charm bracelet he happily slipped on for her. Astrid had brought a staff that she gave to him and he seemed to enjoy quite a lot, the carved wood was clearly Viking made and it curled at the top. "Hiccup?" Rapunzel sat next to me as it was my turn to give him his present, I pulled out my sketchbook, one of the larger ones and slid out a drawing I had been working on for him.

"Haven't finished it yet," I said sheepishly, and everyone gathered around to look at the charcoal drawing of us all together. Jack took it from me and looked at it more carefully.

"What else do you need to do with it?" He wondered. I glanced away, "it looks perfect just as it is." The truth is that I wanted to color it, like I've done with most of my other pictures but each time I tried I faltered. I mumbled something about colors and Jack grinned at me. "Thanks Hic," he put the picture with the rest of his presents and the party continued. I spent most of the time talking with Jack, Merida and Rapunzel because he always came first to us when wanting to talk and could feel the envy of his girlfriend radiating off of her when Jack ignored her.

This is when I first noticed the divide between us, it was small, but noticeable more and more as we approached the winter holiday. Jack would spend more of his time with Elsa, which we couldn't blame him for, they were dating. Then, when the sports season started back up Merida started back up she would spend more time with her team, leaving me and Rapunzel alone more often than not. Then the holiday arrived, I found myself sitting on the train with Jack, Merida and Elsa while Rapunzel had stayed at Hogwarts again. I felt bad for leaving her by herself this year, but my father wanted me home. It was a silent ride for the most part, Elsa had fallen asleep and was leaning on Jack's shoulder while Merida was resting her head against the window and drifting in and out of consciousness herself. I was drawing like I did every day and listening to the bickering in my head, Pitch had lightened up on his assaults after realizing that he wasn't going to breach through Autumn's defense so long as we're in his season, where he was stronger. But the two had been constantly arguing.

"Hiccup," I looked up at Jack. "Can I visit you over break?" He wondered.

"Of course," I nodded and he smiled. After parting I found myself back home and spending Christmas with my dad. He had given me a memento from my mother, a helmet that had been a breast plate. I had given him a book I thought he'd enjoy about war and people killing each other. He was happy to accept it and I caught him reading it in his spare time. Afterwards Jack showed up and we spent the next few days hanging out around the house, the weather too fierce for us to go out in until finally, a day before we departed back to Hogwarts.

"Let's go ice skating!" Jack dragged me outside, and I wondered if he knew where the lake was.

"Slow down you'll trip on ice," I laughed but let him tug me out to the woods then down to the small frozen lake. I looked wearily at the ice.

"Oh common Hiccup," Jack laughed pushing me towards it. "You're not going to die." He teased.

"I have a prosthetic Jack, Ice plus that normally ends badly." I reminded him of my missing leg but he just shrugged it off and pushed me onto the ice. I skidded several feet before stopping. "Jack if I get hurt I'm blaming everything on you."

"Quit being such a baby and live a little." He teased, skating over to me expertly.

"I ride dragons, how am I a baby?" I asked watching him circle around me.

"You don't take risks with things you aren't familiar with." He shrugged. "If I remember correctly it took you a while before you could ride Toothless." He smirked and dashed off.

"Show off," I rolled my eyes, following at a slower pace. It took me several minutes to reach him, with much stumbling and cursing at the laughing boy in front of me. Then I heard the ice crack. "Jack...?"

"We have to get back to the snow!" He started towards the nearest plot of land and I wobbled after him. I was too slow, I knew that the ice would break under me before I could reach safety and when Jack had turned. "Hiccup!" He reached out for me and I grabbed his hand, he pulled me forwards throwing me into the snow and the sound of ice breaking filled my ears. I turned quickly and saw nothing.

"Jack?!" I called, crawling towards the broken patch of ice. "No..."

Hiccup, you need to call for Winter! Autumn's voice filled my head and I tried to concentrate on his words.

"I-I..." my voice drifted.

Hiccup now! He ordered me and I tried to do as he said.

"I-It's not working!" I told him. There was a moment's pause.

Give me control, He told me, and I nodded. I felt a warm hand pulling me inside myself as Autumn took over my body. I vaguely noticed what was around me as I watched Autumn seemingly pull Jack out of the water.

He's not breathing! I panicked, Autumn tried to ignore my thoughts as he worked, calling forth the winter spirit and I watched as he bound them together. Jack who had been unmoving started changing, his hair turning white and his skin looking like snow itself. Autumn's hands ran over his clothes, drying them so he wouldn't die again.

This is all I can do... Autumn told me and I felt his grip around me again. Pushing me back into my own body.

I don't think so. The voice hissed as both Autumn and I were pushed further into my mind. Pitch rising to the surface.

No! I tried to get passed him but black walls surrounded me.

"Hiccup?" Jack asked, his voice cracking. There was a moments pause before I realized what Pitch was doing.

Pitch! Autumn shot out, wrestling Pitch out of control and forcing me back into my own body. I quickly backed away from Jack, whom Pitch had been trying to strangle. Fear, pane and a million other emotions running through my mind and I ran. Leaving him alone at the lake.

I stayed with Astrid that night, thanking Thor that she didn't question me and I avoided Jack the entire trip back to Platform 9 ¾. The only thing on my mind was that I needed to find Elsa. She was waiting for us both. "Hiccup? Where's Jack?" She asked, slightly worried before I grabbed her hand and dragged her onto the train. I took her to an emptied compartment.

"Elsa I'm sorry," I said, tears now falling down my cheeks. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean for anything to happen." I explained to her what had happened, making sure she knew that he was alive and probably looking for her right now. Elsa was patient while I told her the events of yesterday, she even made the compartment private by draping curtains over the windows leading to the hall.

"Your arm," she held out her hand and I gave to her my gray one. She pulled up the sleeve and gasped, the gray had extended long past her boundary line, almost reaching my shoulder. "How long had he been in control?" She asked.

"A few seconds?" I wasn't sure, everything seemed to happen so quickly. She was quiet.

"You need to see North about this." She decided, pulling the sleeve back down. "I can't heal that, I don't think anybody can. But he should be able to contain it, or slow it. Hiccup..." she bit her lip for a moment. "I don't think it's avoidable now. Him completely taking over." I buried my face in my hands.

"How long?" I asked quietly.

"Four, five years? Depends on how strong a fight Autumn puts up." She responded, "depends on how long you can keep this away from your heart." She noted to my poisoned arm.

"I ruined everything." I said.

"No," she tried to protest.

"Yes, Jack's going to hate me now. I didn't stay to explain what had happened, I ran away." I looked at her, "Elsa, I can't fix this."

"You will fix it." She told me. "You're one of the seasonal spirits. They're forever bound, there is a way to fix it."

"How can I when I can't face him?" I demanded of her.

Pathetic, Pitch's voice entered my head.

"What am I supposed to do?" I buried my face in my hands again. Silence followed my question then, I felt her pull me into a hug.

So weak,

"I'll look after him. If he's mad I'll try to calm him and talk to him." She told me pulling away. "Just, it will need time to heal." She said, I nodded.

"Could you... if Pitch gains control... Could you protect him?" I asked. She was silent for a moment.

"Hiccup, you like Jack don't you? You like him more than a friend." I didn't look at her.

"I'm sorry." I said. There was another pause.

"I'll keep him safe." She promised. "Do you want me to send Merida to be with you?" She asked, I shook my head. "Alright." She got up and left without another word. The next few weeks were the hardest. The ice had finally broken between us all. I avoided Jack as much as I could. Sitting as far from him as I could in classes, and most of the time skipping the lesson's we had together. Though I made them all up. I spent every Thursday evening with Professor North who had taken over my private training as well as binding the poison in my arm as best he could.

"It is not permanent." He told me grimly, "It will spread, though much slower than if you had not seen me." He said, I nodded and started to wear a glove now that I had grown long enough to have my hands show outside my robes.

Merida who was mad at Jack for being mad at me, started spending more time with me and Rapunzel. And we found a new place to hangout considering the room was known by Jack and I really didn't want to face him.

Such a coward Hiccup, Pitch cooed in my ear, as he had been doing for the last month now. As I hadn't heard anything from my protector since the accident. He had started to question everything I do, every thought I had.

"Dammit Autumn!" I yelled into the forest, I had come here alone just so I could do this. "Why haven't you been responding to me?!" The spirit appeared in front of me while I raged, he had a look of pain in his eyes but let me yell at him until I couldn't think of anything else to say. When finally I just glared at him he reached out. Pulling me into a hug that could only mean I'm sorry. "Why aren't you saying anything?" I asked him. All the anger and resentment out of my system.

Because he hate's you. Pitch told me, which I tried not to believe. Anger flared in Autumn's eyes after hearing the thought and the leaves around us started dying and were pulled into a tornado that surrounded us. Autumn held out a hand and the leaves started to form figures, one of Pitch and one of himself, while they battled in my mind. Pitch had Autumn pinned and his hand pulled something from Autumn's mouth.

"He... took your voice?" I asked and the spirit nodded. That would explain the silence. He mouthed something to me, which I tried to intemperate but I was never good at it. After a minute of looking at him confused the leaves picked themselves up, spelling out the words. 'I'm sorry Hiccup.' "It's not your fault." I said to him and he gave me a sad smile. "We'll just find a different way to talk." I said to him, he nodded then an image appeared in front of me. A sketchbook and pen. I nodded, understanding what he was suggesting and now, instead of hearing his voice he wrote to me. Much more entertaining that passing notes to someone.

The end of the year came quickly and summer rolled in, I spent most of it with Rapunzel who stayed with me in Berk. We had the occasional visit from Merida but for the most part it was just the two of us. "Why are you wearing long sleeves?" Rapunzel asked me as we sat at the small beach we had. I glanced at my gloved hand where the black met with the green sleeve of my shirt.

"Well it's only barely warm." I responded, Merida had asked me about the glove last year but I shrugged it off saying that it wasn't important, but I'm sure she knew exactly what it was for. "I'm surprised you're managing to be in that dress." I told her, she smiled and it lit up her entire face.

"Well, you know." She shrugged. "Spring." She brushed her hand along the sand and flowers started growing in her wake. I watched as the life was brought into the small blue petals that weren't native here. She picked one and admired it and I had to appreciate her. She was extremely beautiful, her green eyes shining and always looking for something new to explore, her long blond hair that was currently braided from the top of her head down to the ground.

"Must be nice to be surrounded by living things all the time." I teased as she brushed the flower against her lips. I picked up one of the flowers with my not gloved hand and watched as it slowly wilted.

"You're never going to become a gardener are you?" She teased, leaning over to stroke a dying petal on the flower. At once it bounced back to life and started dying all over again.

"No," I agreed, looking at the fourteen year old girl. I handed her the flower and it sprang back to life with her touch. "I'm lucky I don't kill all the plants I touch in herbology. But I think I have you to thank for that." She gave me a sheepish smile.

"Can't have you failing on me." She responded and I chuckled. She carefully wound the flowers into her hair and we spent the next few hours growing and picking flowers to put in her braid. "It's going to take ages to get these all out." She commented and I laughed.

"Well, at least they'll never die." I teased. She leaned her head against my shoulder and I hesitated before relaxing into the touch. We stayed like this for a while, just watching the sun set over the ocean and sitting in the sand, then finally Toothless ran over to us and we got up to return to the village.

When school started up again, I found myself spending more and more time with the blond beauty. Merida often leaving us to hang out with her other friends, or to play Quidditch, or just because she couldn't stand the silence while we worked on homework.

"Hiccup!" The redhead called me and I turned away from my book to look at her. She was giddy with excitement as she ran over to me in the hall. I had been leaning against a wall just reading and trying to ignore the crowd around me. "Common!" She linked arms with me and pulled me down the hall back the way she had come from.

"What is it Merida?" I asked her, trying not to laugh at her eagerness to move forwards. She pushed through several groups of people calling apologies to the complaints before we finally arrived at our destination.

Rapunzel was waiting for us, bouncing on the heels of her feet before we arrived and her face broke out into a large smile when she saw me. I could swear that my heart skipped a beat. "Finally," she said, linking her arm with my other arm and they both took me outside to find the surprise. It was quite entertaining to watch to say the least. Snotlout was following a girl around like a love sick puppy and the best part? That girl was Astrid. I couldn't stop myself from laughing as Astrid would repetitively get up and move as my cousin followed her, then finally she snapped. I winced as I heard the slap from across the grass and Astrid yelled at him.

"Should we save him?" Merida wondered.

"I think Astrid needs to be saved more than Snotlout." I noted, "he doesn't take hints even if they hit him in the face." I explained then quickly added, "literally," after he started following her again.

"Astrid!" Rapunzel called to the Quidditch chaser and she gladly joined us.

"Thank Oden you're here." She hugged the three of us. "I just wanted to finish my homework in the last nice day of the year but Snotlout won't stop following me!"

"Don't worry," I said to her trying not to laugh as Snotlout scowled and stalked away. "We'll keep you safe from unwanted attention." We did keep Snotlout away at least, but not some of her other admirers who asked to date her or other things. But she could handle those one's by herself. "Are you trying out for the Quidditch team this year Hiccup?" She asked after a particularly cold fall day in which the tryout list's had been posted.

"I'm not sure," I responded honestly, Quidditch was something that someone I was avoiding played, being apart of the team would make not seeing him harder. "I guess I could try, for dad at least." Merida and Astrid smiled.

"What position?" They asked together and I shrugged. "Keeper," they both said, then laughed.

"I think you'd make a good Keeper." Rapunzel, whom we all thought had fallen asleep said. She looked at us with tired eyes and smiled sheepishly. "Sorry, I'm not really interested in Quidditch but I know you both love it. I have to agree, Hiccup would make a good Keeper though."

"And he'd be cute in the uniform." Merida added getting the blond to blush but nod in agreement and Astrid and Merida laughed again. And that's how I found myself at my second ever Quidditch try outs. I watched from above as there was a practice game while me and the other competitor for the Keeper position tried to block as many balls as possible. The captain, a seventh year named Kevin Knock watching the game carefully. To be completely honest I was extremely nervous but I did good. Blocking every ball, two more than my competitor had and getting myself a place on the team.

"I didn't expect that." Astrid said honestly as I joined the girls in the stands to watch the remaining teams tryouts. "You did it, you actually got on the team."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence Astrid." I rolled my eyes and sat next to Rapunzel. "It's a big shot at my ego." I felt the wind wrap around me and smiled a little. Thanking Autumn for training me so well. I noticed Rapunzel glancing at me, and when I caught her she blushed and looked down at her hands.

"You were great." She told me sheepishly and I smiled.

"Thanks Punzy," she blushed more at the nickname and Merida groaned. I looked at her then saw the team that had just walked onto the pitch.

"How did he get captain?" She asked, glaring at the white haired boy who was standing before the rest of the team. "He's only a fourth year!" She complained and I frowned.

He's better than you, Pitch told me, trying to get me angry at him. Always has been, always will be. How does that make you feel Hiccup? Want to make him regret it? I felt pain in my left arm and bit back a swear, the poison was trying to advance. I rubbed it absently, trying to sooth the pain. An angry wind brushed passed all of us, and the girls covered their faces.

"What was that?" Astrid asked when it calmed, though the few people on their brooms were trying to stabilize themselves again. "It's not supposed to be windy today." No one answered her because the girls were as clueless as she as was.

Weeks passed then a month before the first game I was in arrived, Ravenclaw against Hufflepuff. We won 170 to 10 which was impressive, managing to block all but one attempt to score before our seeker caught the snitch winning the game indefinitely. The party after was amazing. Normally Rapunzel and I avoided the party's but being apart of the team, I wasn't aloud to ditch out like normal. Though, our next game would be against Gryffindor which I wasn't looking forwards too. As much as I liked my team, my friends came first and Merida had been my friend for ages. But that wasn't until after the holiday. For now all we had to worry about was keeping Snotlout away from Astrid, which was becoming more and more entertaining.

When the holiday arrived I was glad, but I had told my dad that I would be staying at school this year, not wanting an accidental repeat of last year and not wanting to leave Rapunzel alone. "Are you sure about this?" She asked me as we wandered around the nearly emptied school. "Staying just for me?"

"I'm sure," I smiled at her, she blushed and glanced at her feet. "It's not like my father minds much, we don't do much and he has work." I added, she nodded and we continued down the hall. Just walking to walk.

"Elsa what's this about?" The voice sent a shiver down my spine and pain shot through my arm again. I gripped onto it, hoping that Rapunzel wouldn't notice. The couple rounded the corner and froze when seeing us.

"I have a meeting with North," I said to Rapunzel, true I did but it wasn't until later. "I'll catch up with you later." She looked at me, then nodded and I walked passed the two, acting as if I hadn't noticed them. When I was far enough away I slipped into a side hall and hissed in pain.

You can't fight this Hiccup. Pitch told me, I gritted my teeth biting back some rather rude comments I had for him. My poison is spreading, that little charm North has on it won't stop it.

"Burn in hell." I spat at him, "get out of my head. I don't need your bullshit right now." I gripped my arm tighter as the pain increased.

Just look at it Hiccup, when was the last time you saw it? He mused. It's almost there. Then you'll be mine to control.

"I said get out!" I snarled.

"I'm sorry was I interrupting something?" The voice snapped me out of the conversation I was in, I turned to see Elsa standing at the edge of the hall.

"Sorry, talking to myself." I told her, letting go of my arm and pushing away from the wall I hadn't realized I was leaning against.

"Talking to Pitch." She corrected moving towards me.

"Do you need something?" I asked, turning the conversation away from me.

"I was just making sure that you were okay." She commented. I studied her, "Jack was worried." I raised my eyebrow at this.

"Jack? Was worried about me? He's not mad anymore?" I wondered.

"No, he's still mad that you're ignoring him." She responded. "But he's realized that you're not going to talk to him directly."

"So he sent you." I concluded.

He thinks he's above you.

"No, I came by myself. Rapunzel is talking with him." She responded.

Thinks he can take the girl you like.

"Well, I'm sure they have a lot to catch up on." I noted, crossing my arms.

Take what's yours.

"Are you mad at me?" She asked, "because you just seem to be getting madder and madder for no reason."

Now she think she knows you better than yourself.

"Shut up Pitch!" I growled startling the girl in front of me. The spirit only chuckled.

Not until you break. He told me before sending a flash of memories in my eyes, I clutched onto my head and stumbled back into the wall.

"Stop," I tried to force it to stop, pain shooting up my arm and into my chest. "Get-Get out..."

"Hiccup!" I heard Elsa call before black swallowed my mind.

I spent Christmas in the hospital wing. Madam Pomfrey fussing over me and shirtless the entire time. Rapunzel was only allowed to see me after lunch. "Oh gods Hiccup," she set a box down on a table before sitting next to me and looking at my gray skin. "What happened?" She asked gently touching it, the touch felt relieving, the pain that had remained constant fading away.

"It's poisoned," I told her. "Well, not technically but it's the only term we could come up for it." I said nervously. "Pitch... a few years ago when Merida was here and I was explaining about spiritual power, I showed her a sample of Pitch's magic. Well, it wasn't supposed to be harmful but he had other plans. It formed into a stake and was going to harm her so I grabbed onto it. The shadow's never left my anatomy after that." I looked at my hand. "It's been spreading fast..." I sighed. "North and Elsa have done what they can for it, but..."

"Why didn't you tell us? I could've healed it. Hiccup, I'm a healer." She scolded me

"I..." I blushed as her hand traced my shoulder to where the gray currently ended. "I'm sorry." She sighed in frustration and I felt hair drift onto my skin. "What..." I looked up to see her wrapping some of her hair around my arm.

"Trust me, okay?" She didn't look up. "And don't freak, this is completely weird." She said, moments before starting to sing. I watched in amazement as her hair started to glow. Slowly the gray started to recede until it was level with my elbow. After the glowing faded I untangled my arm and looked at it in amazement.

What?! Pitch's anger raged through my mind and I could feel Autumn laughing.

"How...?" I looked at her and she was staring at her hands, running her hands through her hair nervously.

"When my mother was pregnant with me, she got sick and almost died." She said sheepishly. "My father searched far and wide for a cure, and after following an old legend found this flower called the Sundrop. It was a glowing yellow flower that can heal anything. He used it to heal my mother and when I was born, I had adapted it's power. Just... in my hair." She tugged at it a little bit. "It's why I'm such a strong healer, that and being Spring..." She lifted her gaze to look at me.

"Rapunzel you're amazing." I told her, and her face lit up red.

"No I..." She tried to reply, I felt bad for not telling her anything. So for the rest of the day we exchanged stories and I told her everything. Everything that I had been keeping in and secret and she didn't push away or look at me with disgust. She just nodded and supported me the entire time. When we finished, she picked up the box she had brought with her and gave it to me. I opened it and found a small red rose, I looked up at her. "But... I'll wilt it." I said. She just shook her head.

"It's enchanted, it'll take years to wilt, as long as you are Hiccup, it'll stay alive." She told me. I smiled at her, then closed the box.

"Then I want you to have it." I told her, she looked hurt. "Because I want you to be the first person to know if I'm no longer Hiccup." I said softly, "It's safe with you right?" I asked.

"Yeah," she nodded, a small smile on her lips as she took the box back. "But now I'm going to need something else to give you." She commented.

"Be my model," I said and she blushed. I picked up my small sketchbook and opened it to the first blank page. I took the rose out of the box and slid it into her hair, it bloomed with the touch and there was a blush permanently settled on her cheeks. She closed her eyes and a small smile came to her lips and I started sketching her, occasionally lifting her chin or brushing some stray hair out of her face. "I must say," I said as I labeled the drawing, several hours later. "It's much different drawing someone when they're modeling for you." She laughed and I turned the book to her so she could see it.

Rapunzel Corona, Christmas, 4th year. Beautiful as a Rose.

 


	8. VIII

=Rapunzel=

I didn't notice when Merida stopped spending time with us, leaving for her other friends but eventually it just became me and Hiccup. It was sad sometimes, being alone. There were days where Hiccup couldn't face me, when he was fighting with himself and didn't want me to get hurt. There were days when we would be sitting together and wishing that we weren't alone. Sure there was the team who had started to pull Hiccup and me (because when wasn't I with him lately?) Into all of their social activities after their defeat of Gryffindor at 210 to nothing. Then finally when the last game came we once again beat Slytherin 160 to 150, the only reason they got any points being that Jack, seeing as nothing was getting passed Hiccup, caught the snitch right after we scored another point. Hiccup had been carried back to the common room and I swear the party lasted days. It was the first time Ravenclaw had won the cup in ages.

After the excitement, finals rolled in and Hiccup and I dove into our studies. Wanting to pass and get it over with as soon as possible with the highest grade imaginable. Then finally, we had our few days of freedom. We decided to spend at least a whole of one with Toothless, we had been taking turns watching over the dragon this year. Hiccup heading out every morning that he could and I took the days where he had slept in late or needed to be up for practice or something along those lines. The day started with us just hanging out in the meadow and ended with a sunset flight around the school and the next day we remained in the yard between the school and Hagrid's hut talking about mostly nonsense things like art or what our plans were for break, or when we'd get to see each other again.

When we got up for dinner, I stumbled a little bit, knocking Hiccup off balance and we rolled down the hill some, Hiccup ending up on top of me. "I'm sorry," he pushed himself up, then we just stared at each other for a while before he lent down and pressed his lips to mine. The kiss only lasted a few seconds, mostly because a third year from the Quidditch team yelled out.

"It's about time!" Embarrassing us both and we stood, faces red and Hiccup half glaring at the girl who only laughed it off and continued back inside with her friends. I noticed a bit of white, and glanced up the hill to see Jack standing there. He was looking at the both of us.

"So, um..." Hiccup rubbed the back of his neck and I took his gloved hand in mine, squeezing it gently and getting a smile from him. "Dinner?" He asked and we walked back up the hill towards the school. Entering the dining hall that evening we had been teased by a lot of the upperclassmen as well as the team, and were even invited to sit with them. Two spots reserved right in the middle of everything, the entire time we didn't let go of each other.

"Write to me?" He asked as we sat on the train heading back to Kings Cross station. He explained that he would be a bit busy this summer, finalizing everything with the Dragon school and helping his dad around the village so even if I did come and visit he wouldn't be able to spend too much time with me.

"Every day," I nodded resting my head against his shoulder. His rose wound into the top of my braid and had permanently become an accessory for me. Sometimes as a part of a necklace or bracelet but mostly wound in with my hair. I watched him draw, which had become one of my favorite pastimes, it wasn't in his small sketchbook but that didn't matter much. He had already put me in that one earlier this year. This time he drew what the train would look like outside, as it drove across the country waiting for the station to appear.

Then, we parted ways, him giving me a kiss on the forehead, then much shyer, on the lips. And I smiled, promising to write to him as soon as I got home and we spent most of the rest of the summer apart. Only after our school letters arrived did he invite me to Berk, which was alright. We met at Diagon Alley and spent the day shopping together then returning to Berk and spending the evening down at the beach. "I must be losing myself," Hiccup frowned a bit, picking up a petal that had been apart of his rose.

"It's just one," I commented, taking it from him and frowning when it didn't spring back to life with my touch. The magic on this one died. "We'll keep it that way." I said to him and he smiled at me, linking our fingers together.

"With your amazing healing and trust in me, I'm sure we'll keep Pitch at bay." He agreed, smiling and we spent the rest of the evening peppering my hair with flowers I grew. I kept them in for the rest of summer. Partly because I didn't want to untwist them from the braid and partly because I liked them there.

I spent a lot of time with Astrid when Hiccup was busy, she was fun to hang around with when she wasn't trying to kill Snotlout. Which was almost every time she stepped out the door. "You're so lucky." She told me when we escaped into the woods. "Your admirer's backed off when you started dating Hiccup. I'm sure my stalker won't even get the hint if I get with someone!" She sat on a rock overlooking a small pond.

"I have admirer's?" I asked, sitting next to her. We were waiting for Hiccup to finish his work for the day.

"Lots of them," she nodded. "From all the houses," she added. "Don't you notice that guy's are nicer to you than most people?" I shook my head.

"I just thought they were being nice." I commented and she laughed.

"Some of them yes, but most of them aren't usually that nice." She told me. "Ah, well. We should head somewhere else, Hiccup won't come near here." She stood and looked at me. "He should be coming looking for us soon."

"He won't come here?" I wondered, then thought about his story's to me. This must be the lake that... I stared at it for a moment before standing and walking with her back towards the village. Astrid shook her head.

"He refused to last summer, wouldn't be surprised if it was the same this year." She told me. I nodded and we stayed quiet for the rest of the walk.

The school year started and I could see some changes in Hiccup. He stopped avoiding Jack, instead he would occasionally ask him for a supply that was near him or answer a question Elsa would ask one of us. His relationship with the girl hadn't seemed to changed much because he openly talked with her, sometimes jokingly and sometimes showing her a drawing, or one of my paintings I added to his sketchbooks.

"We broke up over the summer," Elsa told Hiccup and me as we walked out of our potions class. "It just wasn't working any more." She shrugged and smirked at our hand holding. "So when did this start?" She gestured to us.

"Few days before summer started." Hiccup answered. Elsa nodded, as if she already knew this. "So, you wanted help with the essay?" He asked her.

"Not so much for me, but for Jack." Elsa sighed. "If you don't mind that is." She said sheepishly.

"We don't have much else to do, Quidditch doesn't start up for a while yet and Punzy's training isn't during the weekdays" He responded.

"Hiccup if you don't want to help I can do it." I told him, Elsa watched us.

"I honestly don't think I can trust myself if I leave you alone with him." He sighed. "Pitch makes too many comments that I have a hard time ignoring..." His eye drifted to the ground. "It's been getting harder to ignore him. Even with Autumn's help." The three of us stepped into the old classroom we used to hang out in and he sat on a bench, I sat next to him rubbing my fingers against his gloved hand while Elsa stood in front of us.

"Your arm?" She asked. "How is it?" I glanced at the door after seeing something, but nothing was there.

"Spreading again," he responded. "But, still slowly. Rapunzel's healing really helped. I'm sure Pitch would've had control by now if she hadn't..." He looked at me and gave me a warm smile

"I could try to heal it again." I offered but he shook his head.

"I don't think it can be healed anymore." He told us both. "We can try but..."

"This weekend, come see me while I'm working." I told him and he nodded. "If it doesn't heal like before, we're going to have to try something else. How's Autumn holding up?" I wondered.

"He's..." He paused. "I'm not exactly sure, he tells me that he's fine but it's hard to know when I can't talk to him all the time."

"How long does he think you have?" Elsa wondered.

"End of sixth year? Maybe middle of seventh?" Hiccup shrugged looking up then frowning. "Is that your sister?" He asked. Elsa turned to see a girl standing outside the door on the opposite side of the hall. She was with Hans and they were kissing. Elsa's face lit up bright red.

"I'm going to kill her." She marched out of the room and we followed behind slowly. After that it was a few days before Hiccup visited me in the hospital wing. I had to block his cot off from the few others that were in there as I tried to heal his arm. As he expected, it didn't change. The gray looked darker than it had before, it had reached up a little farther above his elbow but nothing too bad. All the while I tried not to focus too much on my shirtless boyfriend and that was a hard task. He had several scars on his chest and one looked like a burn mark, I assumed that these were from dragons, and he was quite tone from his time spent training himself to use Autumn's magic. And it was clear to anyone that bothered to pay attention to him in the previous years that he had grown to be much more handsome that anyone would've thought. He was leaner, definitely had muscle on him and had lost his child like features, his hair was still long and covered his eyes if he chose for that and his green eyes still sparkled with an intense desire to learn.

He turned away from me to put his shirt back on, which I found to be quite pointless considering I had already seen him shirtless, but I saw that there were a great deal more scars on his back than his chest I gently traced some and he shuddered. "There from Toothless." He told me after I pulled back my hand and he finished dressing. "When he saved my life a few years back."

"Oh," they looked quite painful to have but I didn't comment on that. I'm sure that the doctor's in St Mungo's had fixed it right up before he even had the chance to feel it.

"I'll see you at dinner," he told me, before kissing me and leaving. And I sat there for a while trying to imagine what he must've gone through these last few years, and then wondering how he's still doing it. The only answer I could come up with is because of his friends. He doesn't want to lose them. That thought was quite bazaar considering within two years he had managed to lose two of his closest friends and date the last one. The rest of the day, I wandered about from student to student in a half focused state until Madam Pomfrey finally dismissed me for supper.

Things seemed to move along smoothly for the next few weeks until the first Quidditch match, Gryffindor against Slytherin and their feud seemed to be on an all time high this match. I had to work overtime which was fine because Hiccup stayed and helped to take care of the five students that had been brought in with broken bones or some more minor injuries. Merida had even been brought in along with a beater from Slytherin named Flynn. I had to make sure that they were separated because they were fighting even as they had been brought in.

Hiccup, who had missed the match to spend the day with me up here was more than entertained when she was brought in cursing up a storm with Astrid walking behind her, a small cut on her forehead but nothing serious. "Yer a filthy cheater Rider!" Merida yelled at Flynn who I was currently taking care of. And they had just been the first two of the five to come in. Hiccup was sitting with Merida and Astrid talking about what exactly had happened though I'm sure she still had a grudge against him for beating them last year.

"So, Blondie," Flynn said to me. "You free after all this, cuz I'd sure like to take you out." The silence that followed was chilling, even Merida couldn't come up with something to say.

"I'm sorry," I told him. "It's a kind offer but I'm with someone." I said and he frowned. "And I'm sure you would just end up right back here if you tried anything."

"What, that Hiccup kid?" He asked, and I wondered if he realized that Hiccup was here with us. Another player was brought in. "He couldn't hurt a fly." And I found him next to me a moment later, abnormally calm which was the scariest part.

"Flynn right?" He asked, he held out his hand as a form of greeting. "I'm sure we haven't met. I'm Hiccup Haddock," I could see dark aura washing off of him like waves. "If you wouldn't mind, please don't flirt with my girlfriend." He squeezed Flynn's hand and a crack echoed in the silent room, followed by a look of pain from Flynn.

"Hiccup we're supposed to heal people here, not injure them." I scolded the boy, pushing him away from Flynn but grateful that he was willing to fight for me. He gave me a sheepish smile. "Go keep Merida company, I'm sure she's going to need more than Astrid when Madam Pomfrey starts healing her up." I saw him rub his arm but didn't bring it up, he nodded and walked back over to Merida.

"Ow," Flynn managed and I just grabbed his hand, pointed my wand at it and mumbled a healing spell. It cracked back into place, and I'm sure hurt just as much as it had when it broke. "So, how is he a Ravenclaw?" He asked. "I see him as more of a Slytherin or Gryffindor." I rolled my eyes.

"That's because you pissed him off." I responded, moving from him to the person next to him. It was silent for a while.

"Hay, a petal fell off your flower." Flynn told me.

"What?" I turned to face him, he was picking it off the ground.

"Is that thing real?" He asked, I tried not to look at Hiccup as I took the petal from him.

"Yes, it's enchanted." I responded, sliding the pedal into my pocket and turning back to my work and I tried to ignore his comments the remainder of the time I worked. When Madam Pomfrey finally dismissed me, Hiccup and I left, heading towards the dining hall where we would find out who won the match. We didn't go right away, instead we stayed in the old classroom. "The poison?" I asked, he rolled up his sleeve, it had indeed spread. His moment in the hospital must've been triggered by Pitch. I traced my fingers along the border of gray and peach.

"I'm sorry, he slipped out for a second because I was jealous." He told me. "Rapunzel, what if it's not safe for us to be together?" He asked me, pain in his voice. "If I end up hurting you-"

"We'll fix this." I told him, determined. "The two of us, and Elsa. We can fix this, we'll get Pitch out of you."

"Even if we do there will always be this darker side of myself." He told me, I held onto his hands. "He's held onto part of my soul for too long, it'll always be like him. If I can't control that..." I pressed a hand against his cheek, wiping away a stray tear.

"You'll learn." I told him, his eyes closed and he cupped my hand to his face. "I'll help you, even if we aren't a couple when it happens I'll always be there for you. No matter the outcome." I promised him. He nodded and we stayed like this for a while before I finally leaned forwards and kissed him. It lasted longer than our normal kisses, but it was still slow, shy and cautious, like Hiccup was trying to restrain himself.

The kiss seemed to replicate our relationship from then on. We took things slowly, which was alright with the both of us because we were only in our fifth year of Hogwarts, we had time. Our actions were shy, which reflected the both of us, shy around others and slightly less so when it was just us. But everything Hiccup did was cautious, he restrained himself more than half of the time and sometimes I wanted to hit him for it. I understood why he did it, constantly battling Pitch for control over himself, he didn't want me to get hurt or anything. But there were times where I wish he wasn't so cautious around me, like the night of our first Quiddich victory, which was of course, our first match. Hiccup and I were celebrating with everyone in the common room and everyone was edging us on to kiss. We did, of course and it was our first french kiss to add to it, but after he had to separate himself from the party. Another petal fell from the rose that day.

Then the winter holiday rolled around and he stayed with me again. He told me that he was scared of returning on the winter holiday, especially after what had happened with Jack few years ago. He didn't want the constant reminder by staying home, mostly alone. We played a lot of games together this year, sat around cuddling by the fire, and of course visiting Toothless regularly.

"Do you think you could help Autumn?" Hiccup asked suddenly as we sat around Toothless's clearing while the dragon munched happily on his lunch. "Heal him, I mean. He's having a hard time keeping up with Pitch even with me lending him my strength."

"I could try." I responded and then once a week Hiccup would visit me while I worked and I helped strengthen Autumn, these sessions seemed to improve Hiccup's mood for several days after. He was more energetic, more like his old self and not as cautious when it came to things like kissing.

Hiccup wasn't the only one that came to me on a weekly basis, Flynn was also in the hospital quite often. Though I wasn't always sure if he was telling the truth whenever he got an injury. Some days it would be something stupid, like a joke treat that didn't have the cure, and some days he would be truly injured. Hiccup, who was clearly annoyed with him, didn't protest when he came on the day's of our sessions but I could tell that he was jealous.

"I know," he put his hands up. "There's nothing to be jealous about." We were walking out of divination, which neither of us enjoyed much. "His weekly checkups are annoying but I can't do anything about it. Let the moron hurt himself just to see you." I laughed a bit at his comment and he gave a sheepish smile. "I get you every day." His hand slipped around mine and tangled our fingers together. We walked towards potion's with the Slytherin's, which was an annoyingly long walk being that it is several floors below.

"You're taking it better than on the first day." I noted and he gave me a smirk.

"Well, I'm not intentionally hurting myself just to see you." He said. "When he starts to realize that you'd talk to him outside the hospital wing, I might be a bit more protective." He told me and I laughed at it, knowing that what he said would be true and entertaining to watch at least.

When Valentines day arrived he surprised me with a box of some of the sweetest chocolate's I've ever tasted and a giant teddy bear that currently rests next to my bed. Then February faded and turned into March and we had our first fight. It was over something stupid and Elsa sorted it out fairly quickly. I had noticed him and a girl in the library and without asking what he had been doing we were fighting. It turns out that he was helping her get a book off of a top shelf when his cousin tripped him and he fell on her, his prosthetic leg not able to properly support his weight with his surprise. After he couldn't blame me for being jealous because he was of Flynn but teased me about it. After all, she was a first year.

After that there was more tension in our relationship, more times than not I would find myself with Elsa and Jack talking out my worries to which Elsa would straighten up while Jack just gave me an annoyed look. "If you don't trust him then why don't you break up with him?" He would ask after the tenth time. "Relationship's are founded on trust you know." And Elsa proceeded to hit him hard with a book.

Hiccup also had felt the tension between us, given that when we weren't together he was often flying, either practicing for a Quidditch meet or out with Toothless. I had known for a while that he goes flying more than normal when he needs to think, being in the sky helps him straighten his thoughts. Then finally our OWL's rolled in making our relationship near impossible to maintain. We had both agreed that breaking up would be the best thing to do if we wanted to keep our friendship in tact. This seemed to repair the rift that started dividing us.

It was after testing was over that I noticed how small his flower had gotten, I had stopped wearing it and kept it in a vase next to my bed, one afternoon when I was dropping my bags off so Hiccup and I could go to the Quidditch pitch and play a game with the team and several other people that wanted to join in I looked at it and my heart sank. There were maybe five or six petals left, the rest had gone. "Hiccup," I pulled him to the side before we went into the pitch. I showed him the flower and he looked at it, his face unreadable and I wondered if he had known this for a while now.

"I'll show you in the Hospital wing, later." He said to me before leading me into the pitch for the game. Afterwards we sat in the private cot, with everything blocked off from the few other students here and he took off his shirt. The poison had been working overtime, it matched what it had been before I healed it last year and was even a bit further down his chest, and starting up his neck.

"Even with the sessions? How did it get so far?" I asked, tears swelling in my eyes. "You said that Autumn could hold out another two years."

"I'd be surprised if he manages to keep me through the summer." Hiccup said, sliding back into his shirt. He carefully put on his glove. "Remember what I asked you to do?" He wondered. "If... When Pitch gains control?"

"Look after Toothless." I nodded. He smiled a bit. "There has to be a way to stop this."

"There is," he agreed. "But you won't like it, it's the only way to ensure that he's completely removed from my body." There was a long pause. "You'll have to kill me." The silence that followed was thick. "Rapunzel, if anything happens, I don't want Pitch to use me for his plans. I ask that you kill me, before he get's too far."

"I can't," I looked at him, panic flooding my mind.

"There's a way for me to come back, Elsa can teach it to you. I saved Jack with it. But it's dangerous, it's a risk." He told me. "If you rebind Autumn to me, after I've died. The chance of me coming back is high."

"Hiccup you're asking me to kill you." I said, "how can I? I love you. It might not be the romantic love but I still do." He wiped away my tears.

"I know." He said. "I love you too." He told me. "You are my best friend, the best I could've asked for. Bit when it comes down to it, it's my final wish." He pulled me into a hug. "It'll be hard but I'm sure you'll have help."

"Am I interrupting something?" Flynn's voice pulled us apart. Hiccup had a slightly annoyed look on his face.

"Maybe, depends on what you need." He responded.

"Madam Pomfrey told me to get Blondie." He responded, pointing out of the blocked area. His intrusion ended our conversation and we didn't have time to bring it up again before the end of the year.

Summer was long, and boring for most of it, until once again Hiccup invited me to Berk and he kept me busy with everything. I spent more time with baby dragons as well as hanging out with Astrid, who surprised me by having Elsa over for unknown reasons. Neither of them would tell me and when I asked Hiccup, he shrugged it off saying something about being murdered if he said anything. Then we were back on the train to school, the four of us sitting in an compartment and talking about what we expect from the new year, finally being able to choose what classes we wanted to more than others and what we expected to happen with Quiddich. That conversation was mostly between Astrid and Hiccup though, neither Elsa and I were vary interested in the game.

It was about a week after classes started when the last petal fell. I was at a lesson with Madam Pomfrey who had accepted me as a normal student and was teaching me official medical and healing things, the flower resting in a vase that I had started carrying with me at all times. Hidden in my bag most of the time. He was brought into the room unconscious and by two people I didn't expect to work together. "What..." I moved to his side, ignoring the look that Flynn and Astrid gave me, I saw the gray that was usually hidden rising up his neck at an easy pace. Without a word I pulled out my wand and ran it down his shirt, splitting it open and trying hard to ignore the gasp from Astrid. The poison had reached his heart. "Find Merida," I turned to them.

"What? Rapunzel what is that?" Astrid asked me.

"There's no time, find Merida now!" I demanded of them both and they ran off. "Madam Pomfrey I'll be back," I told her and she nodded. I rushed down to the basement and grabbed the first Slytherin student I could find. "Listen to me," I demanded of them. "Get into your common room and bring out Elsa Arendelle and Jack Frost now. I swear if you don't I'll make sure you don't leave the hospital wing for the rest of the year." I shoved them forwards and watched him run off in the direction of the common room. I felt people staring at me as I waited impatiently for the two to show up. My arms crossed over my chest and glaring at anyone who tried to approach me. Until finally the two walked out, ever slowly damn them and came to a stop in front of me.

"Rapunzel? What's going on?" Elsa asked me.

"Hospital wing, now." I told her and she nodded slowly.

"Why?" Jack asked me, not going to move without a answer. We don't have time for this. I grabbed onto his ear and started dragging him off towards the hospital wing, Elsa running to keep up. "Ow, is this necessary?" He complained and I just ignored him.

"I don't think she'd be so violent if it wasn't." Elsa told him.

"Let go of my ear I'll follow you." Jack said and I did, he fell onto the ground with the sudden release and pushed himself back up. "If you just told us what was going on,"

"You'll figure it out when we get upstairs." I said, climbing and glancing back every now and then to make sure they were following. When we finally reached the hospital wing, Merida was already here standing next to the cot and turning when I stepped in.

"Rapunzel how did this happen?" She demanded of me.

"Well the poison's been in his system for years now. It's just finally spread to his heart." I said. "Started in his hand." Elsa rushed forwards, pushing past Jack to see Hiccup. She gasped.

"When... he said there was at least another year!" She said.

"Right now I'm pinning all of this mess on Jack." I said.

"What did I do?" Jack asked confused, moving towards us.

"Almost killed him." I replied. He saw Hiccup.

"Almost killed him? He tried to kill me!"

"He saved your life," Elsa and I said together. "Then Pitch took over his body," Elsa continued. "Honestly Jack why would Hiccup, who was your best friend, try to kill you? Didn't you ever think it was odd."

"If he would've talked to me about it-"

"Don't try to make us feel guilty for you about this." She scolded him. "You didn't have the guts to talk to him, he was waiting for you to approach him about it. Then when you finally went to do it you ran away because he got together with Rapunzel!"

"Can someone explain to me why Hiccup is turning gray?" Astrid stepped forwards, "you all seem to know. What's happening to him?" There was a long silence.

"I'll explain everything later," Elsa said to her. "It's extremely complicated and right now I need you and Flynn to leave." Astrid tried to protest.

"No she's right," Madam Pomfrey shooed them from the hall. "I suggest you work quickly Elsa or you'll risk all their lives." Elsa nodded.

"Everyone on a cot, I'm sending you into Hiccup's subconscious to try and save him." She pushed each of us down onto a cot, and spoke a few words in a forging language before my mind slipped into darkness.

 


	9. IX

=Hiccup=

The oddest thing about not knowing what exactly was going on was that, I was myself, standing in a black pit and looking past Autumn who was protecting me at all costs. I was Autumn, I could even see the part of my soul that he held onto and feel his emotions and pain. I was Pitch, standing on the far side of the black chasm with a dark smile on his face and advancing towards us victoriously. The best part about all this was that I couldn't stop it, even with my soul split in three, you would think that I could have some control over the dark spirit trying to destroy Autumn and consume me. But no, I was useless here, the only thing I could do was watch, my training felt useless.

"Autumn take me!" I called to him, it wasn't the first time I had told the spirit to do this since I arrived in the black pit. The spirit shook his head, refusing me again and the black spear ripped into his side. I winced with him, feeling the numb pain in my own body. The thing that sucked most, was that Pitch's magic blended in with our surroundings giving him the advantage point. There was also a thumping sound and every once it shook the cavern.

"Give it up Autumn you can't protect him for much longer." Pitch chuckled as another spear rushed at him, he managed to block this one and send out his own counter attack. It honestly looked like a pathetic attempt to stop the spirit but surprisingly enough managed to hit him and shove him back a few paces. Pitch chuckled again, brushing off stray leaves from his robe and continuing towards us. Autumn dropped to his knee, holding his side. I started to him but a strong gust of wind kept me in place.

"Autumn please, let me help you!" I called to him. He just shook his head again, refusing me.

"Why don't you let him Autumn?" Pitch mused, advancing further. He was almost at the halfway point. "You need the extra strength, and if nothing else, that's what he'll give you." I could feel Autumn's anger at Pitch and wasn't surprised when he threw volley after volley of attacks towards him. Pitch easily deflected most of them, only a few hitting him in the sides but not having much effect on him. He flicked off the last attack and tisked at Autumn, stretching out his own arm and sending a round of spears at Autumn, I tried to call out for him but I felt hands wrap around me, one covering my mouth. Several of them struck Autumn and agony filtered through me.

I was pulled towards Pitch and passed Autumn. He reached out and grabbed onto my hand, though I could tell that the movement brought him pain. He was able to keep me in place, though my arm felt as if it could be ripped off at any moment. Behind him a light flashed and I could see three dim figures glowing in the dark. "Imposable!" Pitch growled and I felt my hand slipping from Autumn's. He held it with his other one as well, a determined look in his eye. He would refuse to lose this battle. Behind him the three spirit's emerged, their forms solidifying and assessing the situation quickly before jumping into action. Spring, the brightest of the three, was quickly at Autumn's side, taking in his wounds and healing them. Summer, who almost matched Merida's appearance started fighting with Pitch, keeping him quite distracted with shooting fire in his face (or heat, whatever she calls it.) Winter, or Jack considering they had merged worked on getting me free of my trap, as well as giving defense to Spring and Autumn.

"I swear to the gods Hiccup," Jack mumbled as he tore the shadows from me. "If we get through this I'm never leaving you alone again." He told me, and I felt happy. I don't know why, he was mad at me and clearly going to yell at me later if I made it out of this as myself, but he made me happy. Once I was freed from mybinding, well mostly free, I hugged him. Getting Autumn to laugh and Spring to smile.

"I hope you keep to your word." I said to him, pulling back and looking at his shocked face.

"I'm not one for breaking promises." He said to me, linking our pinkies.

"Jack, Merida need's help." Spring, or I guess it's Rapunzel said to him. He nodded and went to join Merida with distracting Pitch. I looked at her as she finished healing Autumn. "Are you alright?" She asked.

"Yeah everythings great." I responded sarcastically. "Just another monster trying to consume my soul. A normal day in the life of Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, Viking leader in training." She smiled at my comment and Autumn laughed silently. "You guys seriously showed up at a good time."

"Well, y'know." She shrugged, standing. "Can't keep you from your future boyfriend can we." I blushed a dark red.

"How...?"

"Please Hiccup." She rolled her eyes. "I dated you for a year, and I've been your friend for much longer. I know you like him, I just wanted to be selfish for a while and keep you to myself." She crossed her arms over her chest gave me the, you're not fooling me, look.

"It was hardly selfish. I did like you." I said to her, she smiled.

"I know, I'm just teasing." She said, I tried to stand but I was still tangled in a web of shadows. Autumn stood, looking between us and then at the fight.

"He doesn't like you guys fighting our fight." I told her, sensing what he was thinking.

"Well, it's as much of ours as it is yours." She rolled her eyes. "We're all connected." There was a cry of pain and she turned to see Merida holding her side. "Don't do anything stupid." She ordered me.

"What? Me?" I asked. "Never," she studied me for a moment before going to help the others. I looked at Autumn. "Autumn I'm not getting out of this." I said to him and his head snapped back to me, panic in his eyes. "I need you to protect them from Pitch." I told him and he opened his mouth as if to replay, temporarily forgetting that he can't talk. "Do it for me, please. If any of them were to get hurt because of him. I'd never forgive myself." His mouth closed and he studied me for a moment before nodding. "Tell them how to defeat him. Make sure that they know it's the only way to safely take him out." I said and again he looked as if he wanted to protest "Autumn do this for me. Please. If I die and I stay dead then at least Pitch was defeated, for the time being at least. If I die and they bring me back, merged with you as you did for Jack, then that's a miracle all of it's own." He nodded again. I felt the bindings tug on me, pulling me towards Pitch again and he quickly grabbed onto my arms, his feet digging into the black supporting us to keep me from moving. I held onto him, trying not to give into the whisper in my ear telling me to give in. It was pointless to struggle, not that I hadn't already known that. This was a losing battle from the start, I just had to prove to myself that I could fight against it for as long as I could. "Keep them safe," I told him as the last of my strength faded, I slipped from his hands and used the little control I had over this place to send the four spirits out of my body.

"No!" The voice echoed in my mind as I completely merged with Pitch, my parted soul clinging to me as the third part was torn almost completely from my body. I felt lifeless, bodiless and for lack of better words, dead. My mind being consumed with nightmares and losing the little sense of self I had before.

Around me I heard quiet breaths, steady and even. My eyes opened and the brick ceiling of the hospital wing stared back at me. I sat up and turned, letting my legs drop out of bed. It was dark, night must've fallen long ago. I looked out the window and saw a ghostly figure staring back at me. "Finally." My mouth moved and I stared into the glowing dark yellow eyes that replaced the once green ones. My hand moved up to push some hair out of my eyes only the touch was of cloth. I stared in disgust at the glove and tore it off my hand. "Pathetic wasn't I?" I said to myself, standing and taking a minute to readjust to the prosthetic. "Really Pathetic." I looked around, there were four occupied cots, each of a face I knew. Each of a face that were now my enemies. To my right, was Rapunzel, to my left Elsa. On the other side of the room were Merida and Jack. I walked over to his cot, and studied him. I could see why I liked him. "At least I had good taste." I murmured.

I lent down, putting my arms on either side of him and pressed my lips to his, startling him awake. "Hiccup?" He asked against my lips and I smirked.

"Not quite," I responded, climbing on top of him and pushing him into another kiss. He tried to push me off but I pinned his hands with mine. "I think I'll enjoy this." I mused, grinding our hips together and getting a gasp out of him.

Stop! The echo of my former self begged in my head. Instead of stopping, I trailed kisses down his neck as the boy under me struggled with my hold. I bit down on a tender piece of skin and a soft moan escaped his lips.

"What a lovely sound." I mumbled against his neck before grinding against him again. He moaned again. "Shh, don't want to wake the others now do we?" I mused before capturing his lips again.

"G-Get off." He demanded, when I pulled away.

"No, I quite like it here." I chuckled, but before I was able to touch him again, I was pulled off and found myself glaring at Autumn.

Yes! My echo sighed with relief. I growled at both of them. Jack, sat up in his cot, looking at the both of us.

"Get lost leaf boy I won." I snarled at him. "You're not needed here any more."

"No, as long as you're still alive I'll be here." He said to me.

"Got your voice back did you?" I laughed, he scowled at me. "You know I thought about giving it back once or twice, I missed our arguments. But no, watching Hiccup suffer with my comments and you unable to do anything to stop it was much more enjoyable." Around the others were starting to stir.

"Autumn... what are you doing here?" Jack asked confused. He didn't turn to face the boy, keeping all of his attention on me.

"Yes what are you still doing here?"

Standing between you and them. The echo told me.

"I'm doing what I was asked," Autumn responded. "A final request, at least until Hiccup regains control of the body."

"He's not coming back." I growled. "Not so long as I'm alive, ah but he told you that didn't he?" I mused. "So long as this body is living, I'll remain in control." I felt the shadow's collect around my hand, they felt like particle's of sand as they brushed against it and I was glad that I had long ago learned how to harness this magic with this body. Though, a few changes will have to be made for it to be completely compatible with me. Starting with the stupid leg. I'll leave during break and get it regrown.

"Well then I'll be right here standing between you and what you want, just as always." Autumn told me. I narrowed my eyes at him then straightened up.

"Good luck keeping up," and with that I left the hospital wing. I returned to the dorms and prepared myself for living out this boy's stupid school year. Though, some things I won't mind going through, having already been to several classes I know that there will be times where I can corner the pathetic brats and tear them down. Yes, Autumn will be an obstacle but I've beaten him once, there's no challenge in doing it again. First I just have to train this body. I looked at myself in a mirror, the gray scar that the poison left hasn't moved since I assumed control. Nor will it ever move again. The darkest parts were of at my hand and lower arm, where the poison had been contained for several long months before breaking the barriers put in it's place. Then it slowly faded to a lighter color, eventually blending in with the peach right above my heart. It had also scarred my neck and abdominal, half mimicking the aiding as well as spreading out further while following vein trails, stretching much further than the mass of the poison had.

I have to say, it did good work, though not on the person it was originally orchestrated for. Scowling, I tore off the rest of the ripped shirt and fell into bed, sleep was the first thing I needed to prepare myself for the torture of the next two years. After all, an education is valued highest if one's going to get into the ministry.

The next few weeks were filled with countless annoyances and deadlines. Not many people noticed my changes, luckily but few dared to come up to me and play tricks or make fun of me. I set them straight almost right away each time, scaring the off and separating me from the other students. My cousin didn't seem to get it though, he thought I was just pranking him back for all these years of bullying me. But, his pain became a form of entertainment to me. The few people who had noticed my changes, including the ones that had been there to see it, veered away from me and I knew that the seasons were trying to come up with a way to save Hiccup, without killing me. But their stress levels were high, constantly looking out for me on the rare occasion that I would advance towards one of them.

The first was Rapunzel, who had been quite easy to torture as we sat next to each other in several classes and I adopted my old self's ability to draw. One of his sketchbooks, the one for this year as he had seven each filled with art from different years at the school, along with the eighth one he had been given from his mother before she died. I spent several of my classes ignoring the lesson on something I already knew, Hiccup having already read ahead in all of his classes so he would have time to slack off and just draw. But unlike his normally happy or calm drawings, mine were dark. Sometimes she would glance over at what I drew, out of habit and I would hear her gasp and I could feel her tremble as I drew the boy I consumed trapped inside me, struggling to get out. Or, more entertaining would be to draw what I did to torture her other friends.

Merida was hard to break, but there were small things I could do in our single class together that would make her tremble. Few people know of her fears, such as spiders or being trapped as a Princess, not allowed to be herself. Sometimes even a simple prank sets her on edge and that's quite fun to pull off. There would be days where I send a shadow spider to haunt her, the entire class, making her jumpy for the rest of the day. Or I would send whispers from the past to resurface, such ones like the disappointment of her mother when she wasn't good enough. Wasn't a true Princess and witch as she spent the next day or two in a state of depression.

Then there was Jack, who had quite a lot of classes with me. He was quite easy to break, as I was the boy he liked. Only who he liked wasn't in control. Quite often I trap him in a room and use this to my advantage. Getting my Echo to beg for me to stop, that was an added bonus. "Just give in Jack," I purred in his ear as I had him pinned to a wall. It was a particularly cold day, just before break. Most students were back in their common rooms by now so we were quite alone. I nibbled at his ear. He always had a hard time fighting against me, with his oath to never hurt Hiccup in any way shape or form. It gave me an advantage over him.

"G-Get off." He hissed then moaned when I bit down on a sensitive spot.

Please stop. My echo cried, struggling against the barrier's I had trapped it in. Stop, leave him out of this. Please! And my answer to him was to continue exploring Jack. I captured his lips and ran a hand up his shirt, tracing everything I could. I found his nipple and pinched it, getting him to gasp and giving my tong access to his mouth. Out of the three, Jack had become my favorite toy.

When I returned to London that first day of break I found my way quickly to St Mungo's and found that my letter had reached them. They brought me into a treatment room and removed my prosthetic, reminding me that regrowing limbs was painful and it took time to readjust to using it. I suffered through the night, and spent the remainder of break at the hospital relearning how to use my leg. The nurse's were quite pleased with my recovery, saying that I was one of the quickest they've had and a few days later I was heading back to Hogwarts. It was much easier to move with proper limbs.

Elsa had become a different sort of problem all in her own, she was the only one to come to me and fight me, which seemed to be a weekly thing and annoyingly enough we always ended in a draw. Both too tired to finish what was started. There were days when she was angrier than others, and I assumed it was because of problems with her girlfriend. Her and Astrid had started going out the summer before I took control, and I'm sure she expects me to tell the world about the secret. I would, honestly and I will when I feel like pissing her off, but that's only when I know I'm strong enough to face her and win. This has been something I've been constantly working on, often going to the forbidden forest to train and improving my skills greatly.

"What a beautiful nightmare." I mused, running my hand through the horse's sandy mane. It nuzzled me affectionately, recognizing me as it's master and ready to do anything I wanted when asked. "Beautiful," I repeated and laughed a bit. "I have a task for you." I told it, and it stomped it's hoof impatiently. "There's a girl that you're to haunt." I said to it. "She's quite a bother to me and honestly I could be spending my time doing more important things than fighting her." It huffed, ready. "Elsa Arendelle." I gave her the name and she disintegrated with the wind, going off to haunt the girl.

It worked magically, the annoyance that Elsa had been slowly became less and less. There were bags under her eyes from lack of sleep and her fight against me had easily become a struggle to her, and then finally. I beat her, sending her to the hospital wing, of course no one actually knew it was me that had done this. In fact it was my nightmare that put her there.

The next few days after were fun to watch, Astrid was depressed and her own nightmare had started haunting her, actually the one I had created seemed to be spreading like wild fire. Touching one student after another. I could see who had the small horse following them and who didn't. But no one ever got as bad as Elsa had, she ended up in a coma, staying there for almost a month before waking. Her nightmare still following her and she separated herself from everyone. "What did you do to me?" She demanded watching the horse that had stuck to her trot over to me and nuzzle into my side.

"I didn't do anything." I responded, letting the horse rest in my hand. "You've just had a nightmare Love. Everyone gets them." I crushed the horse, though it wouldn't do any damage to it. It appeared next to Elsa again and her eyes seemed to glaze over.

"They will stop you." She told me, struggling to keep herself awake.

"They are in no better a position than you are." I responded because it was true, the three seasons were fighting struggles of their own. Their own nightmares, their school and then trying to stop me. The stress was weighing down on them, driving them insane. I left her with that comment, he body slumping to the ground and falling into a deeper coma than she had been in before. She was sent away from the school, sent to St Mungo's Hospital. Astrid broke with this, watching her sink deeper and deeper into a endless depression.

Astrid, I'm sorry... My echo tried to call out to her. She wasn't the only one that sunk into depression, more than half of the school joined her. Their worries becoming reality, their stress taunting them. Of course there were the few people immune to the nightmares, immune to the sickness spreading through the school. They spent a lot of time trying to cheer everyone up. One of these being Izzy, Jack's little sister.

She had been spending a lot of time with her older brother and his friends, trying to cheer them up and doing her best to make Jack happy. It worked in small amounts, along with the help Autumn had been giving them, the two vanquished the Nightmares surrounding the three. Whenever I saw that spirit it just made me angrier. He stands in the way of a lot of things but he can't always be there for them. Without a body it was hard for him to materialize, I wonder who was supporting him. Obviously one of three. No one else would be able to do it. I assumed Rapunzel at first, she had been the closest to Hiccup and Autumn before I took control, but then I remembered who she was. Spring. She couldn't do much more than heal Autumn, if they shared a body, even temporarily it could do harm to the girl. The seasons were opposites.

I thought Jack for a few days, it seemed likely. Autumn was more closely linked with Winter than Summer, the season drags Summer into it's counter part. But then I realized that if Jack had been holding Autumn, I wouldn't be able to dominate the boy as often as I do.

That left Merida, and who else could it be now that I fit the pieces together. Merida had been Hiccup's first real friend. She had been the closest one to him, the one to make that stupid promise to him. The first promise that started to bind the four. Best friends, no matter what happens between us. The echo repeated and I scowled. Yes, and here was proof of it. She was stupid enough to host Autumn as well as her own spirit. Surely she knows the risk, he must've told her and she would've been too stubborn to give him the chance to refuse. That stupid girl has to be the first one I take out. No! I felt the echo struggle against it's chains and a headache washed over my mind I pressed a hand to my head and leaned against a wall.

This was the first time I realized how much control I truly had on this body. I remembered the last link, the reason I wasn't whole was because Autumn still held a part of Hiccup inside him. When the merge happened we had split him into three, himself, Autumn and me. I growled scaring some first years. I need to have complete control. I can't risk losing control. I glared at Merida, yes, she truly has to go.

When it was apparent that I didn't have full control of the body, the echo, no Hiccup, started struggling to regain himself. For a pest he put up one hell of a fight, even without Autumn backing him. Headaches became a constant part of my life and I'm sure he would slip in for seconds at a time when I least expected him too. Around the school, my nightmares were dying and I know it's because of him. Sometime in the middle of March Elsa returned to the school, completely recovered and her girlfriend tackled her in front of everyone. Giving up on their secret and kissing the girl. Letting everyone know. She confronted me and the struggle with Hiccup was vengeful this time. He distracted me to the point where Elsa had me pinned and her murderous attitude would've ended me. "Hiccup?" She stumbled away from me, though the ice binding me to the spot was unwavering.

"Elsa," I sighed in relief, ignoring the mind splitting headache. "I don't have a lot of time." I told her, she nodded, completely and utterly shocked.

No! Pitch struggled against me and I winced in pain.

"Elsa tell them that they have to kill me." I said to her, feeling tears stinging my eyes. "They have too."

"But you're in control now." She said. "Can't you keep it? Can't you defeat him?"

"No," I told her weakly. "I can't, it's a struggle to fight him off now, I can't last..."

Shut up! He snarled at me, pain shot through my entire body.

"He's going to kill Merida if they don't kill me." I told her. "Kill her then finish off Autumn to gain complete control." Around me I could see black energy circling around me.

"Hiccup!" She gasped.

"Go!" I yelled at her, she hesitated, nodded then ran off as the energy shot into me. Blinding pain swallowed me.

I dropped from my prison and rubbed my wrists. The ice had cut into them but it was just a few minor cuts, nothing that's not easily taken care of. I walked out of the room, leaving the ice for somebody else to take care of and cursing Hiccup for that moment. Well, now if he gets control again, which is quite unlikely, at least he won't be able to speak. Did he think he could just exploit my plan without any sort of punishment? Damn him to hell. I stormed through the halls, people moving out of my way as I made my way out of the building. I made my way into the forbidden forest and passed a small clearing the dragon stayed in, it looked up at me eagerly. Expectantly and bounded over to me. I struck it down, as it got in my way. It's cry of pain echoing in my mind as I continued through the forest. Inside I could feel Hiccup's anger boiling.

 


	10. X

=Jack=

Elsa found us and she was in a half panicked state. Astrid brought her into a seat and held her, trying to calm the girl and it took several minutes to calm her. "What happened?" Astrid asked her softly. Elsa looked at her then to the rest of us that were in the private classroom. There was Flynn, Anna, and Kristoff. As well as Merida, Rapunzel and myself.

"I-I," She swallowed back her nerves. "I fought with Pitch again." She said, and this didn't faze any of us. She was always confronting the boy. "But, Hiccup, he-he managed to gain control." She said.

"What?" Rapunzel sat forwards, knocking her book out of her lap.

"He-he was struggling with keeping control but he told me what Pitch was planning." She paused, looking at Merida. "H-He told me that you have to kill him before he kills you. Merida, Pitch is going to kill you." Silence followed and I could see Merida trying to sort out what was just said. There was a breeze and Autumn appeared in front of us. This only slightly startled Flynn and Kristoff now, the boys having seen it several times now.

"Did he give a reason why?" Autumn asked her.

"No, but his exact words were: 'He's going to kill Merida if they don't kill me. Kill her then destroy Autumn to gain complete control.'" She quoted and a grim expression came to his face.

"I've put you in danger Merida." Autumn told her.

"We've all been in danger sense Pitch took Hiccup." Merida stated, which was true.

"More danger than the others." He gestured to me and Rapunzel. "But, I'm afraid that there's no longer an alternative route. The three of you facing against him is going to end with someones death."

"Okay, I know I'm new into the whole spirit power thing," Flynn spoke up. "But from what it sound's like, this Pitch figure is extremely powerful. He set the whole school into a depression not to long ago. The three of you can't face him without help."

"We have Autumn." Rapunzel said to him.

"He's only good for defense at the moment Blondie." Flynn pointed out. "And he can only stretch his power so far without Hiccup, who's being controlled by Pitch."

"We can ask the Guardian's for help." I offered.

"I'm sure the most help they'll offer while you're under age is sending you to safe houses." Anna spoke up. "Jack you're the youngest one here." She reminded me. I scowled.

"Okay ask for their help after my seventeenth birthday." I put out.

"That leaves you at risk over the summer." Autumn commented. "I doubt he'll try anything so soon, with his plan exposed, but we can't have any of you being alone this summer. This puts your families in danger as well."

"You want us to wait until next school year to face him?" Merida asked.

"Well, if we're going to ask for the Guardian's help, without them shoving Jack out the door. Yes." Autumn nodded. "And if we do manage to defeat Pitch, Jack is the most likely person to bring Hiccup back to life."

"But... Winter is the season of the dead." Rapunzel said, her eyebrows knitting together. "Wouldn't Spring be more practical?"

"Spring brings forth new life and change." Autumn said to her. "Though your healing skills are impressive and it is more than possible that you can bring Hiccup back, our seasons clash with each other." He gave a sheepish smile. "Winter is the season of the dead, and saying that he can connect with the dead. If the two of you worked together, you could probably bring everybody back to life. That's how your season's blend. But Hiccup and I had brought Jack back to life a few years ago, there's a bond stronger than our season's there."

"Hi, I'm Summer, nice to be included in the 'bringing my best friend back to life' conversation." Merida mumbled.

"You'll all be working together to bring him back," Autumn said to her sympathetically. "But when it comes to it Jack is the only one that can literally jump after Hiccup and bring him back from death."

"Fine, but how will we do this? Obviously we can't be alone for the rest of the school year." Merida looked at us. "I have Astrid and Anna in my house, Jack has Elsa and Flynn, Kristoff is a Hugglepuff."

"Hugglepuff?" Kristoff raised his eyebrow.

"Yes, you're extremely huggable." Merida said, waving it off. "Oh don't look at me like that. Elsa and Anna came up with it." She scowled. "My point is Rapunzel doesn't have anyone in the 'Save Hiccup' party."

"Wait, you me our little club here is called 'SH'?" Flynn asked laughing.

"If you can come up with a better name please be my guest." Merida glared at him. "But that doesn't solve Rapunzel's lack of bodyguards."

"Why doesn't Autumn stay with her?" Astrid asked.

"My spirit clashes with him." Rapunzel commented. "Spring, Autumn, their opposites."

"Right..." There was a long period of silence. "Fishlegs!" The two of them said together.

"What?" Merida looked at them as if they were crazy. "Are you talking about that guy in our grade that was sorted into a house last year?"

"He was home schooled up until last year." Astrid said.

"And he was sorted into Ravenclaw." I said. "He's in a lot of my classes."

"I'm sure he can join SH without an issue, he and Hiccup used to be friends when they were little." Astrid said. "When I say little I mean little, little. Like three."

And so we started traveling in packs of three, then the weekend arrived and Rapunzel seemed worried. She pulled me and Merida aside after breakfast. "I have to go the forbidden forest." She said.

"What's in there that won't kill you." Merida asked and she bit her lip.

"I..." She glanced around to make sure no one was eavesdropping. "Toothless is there." She whispered. And after finishing our meal we headed out for the Forbidden forest.

"Why is Toothless here?" I asked her when we were safely, unsafe in the Forbidden Forest.

"Hiccup's been bringing him since first year." She responded before entering a clearing. A snarl answered our entrance and the dragon glared at us from the other side of the clearing. "Toothless what's wrong?" Rapunzel asked worried she moved towards him but he tried to attack her.

"Careful." Merida pulled her back before she could get hurt.

"Somethings not right, he's never like this." Rapunzel said. I stepped forwards cautiously, imitating what Hiccup had taught me four years ago. My hand outstretched and moving slowly. Toothless growled at me first, then slowly limped forwards to press his head against my hand. I pet him.

"What's wrong?" I asked the dragon. He lifted his wing and we saw exactly what was wrong, three black spears were stuck in him, Two through the base of his wing and a third in a leg.

"These aren't... he didn't!" Rapunzel rushed forwards to examine the wounds. She turned to us. "You're going to have to hold him while I pull these out."

"Are you mad?" Merida asked.

"I can't heal him with these in." She responded grabbing hold of the one in his leg. Toothless growled at her and tried to bite her, vines started to wrap around the dragon, trapping him to the ground. Merida was holding her hands out as more wrapped around him. I bit my lip and summoned ice to keep his head and tail in place. "I'm sorry Toothless." Rapunzel said as she pulled the first one out. He roared in pain, this happened two more times and Rapunzel worked quickly to stop the bleeding then she gathered her hair and wrapped it around his wounds.

"What are you doing?" I asked her, she ignored me and started singing. We watched as her hair started to glow, Toothless started relaxing. When she pulled away the wounds were completely healed.

"Punzy you're amazing." Merida told her and she smiled sheepishly Toothless had returned to his normal self. We made plans with Gobber to send the dragon to Merida's parents, who would take care of the dragon and keep him from further harm.

The remainder of the school year flew by and as Autumn suspected Pitch didn't pull anything. I saw little of him actually, until the day we returned home. After the train departed I went to visit my sister, making sure that I knew where she was for when we got off of the train. On the way back the boy pulled me into a compartment that was blocked from anyone's sight, curtains drawn on both sides. "Miss me Jack?" He mused pinning me to the door. I tried to grab the door handle but he used a quick spell, tying my arms behind my back and forced me down onto a seat. I tried to ignore the fact that it was Hiccups body assaulting me, and just focus on Pitch but it was hard too.

His lips pressed against mine as he pinned me to the seat, slowly climbing onto my lap. "Just give in already, I know you want me." He purred lifting my chin so I could glare at him. He chuckled, keeping hold of my chin and kissing me again. "I wonder what Hiccup's thinking right now," he mused. "After I stole his voice he's been nice and quiet for me." He purred leaning down so his lips were right next to my ear. "Would you like to know what I did to him after he exposed me?"

"Burn in hell." I hissed at him, his woundless hand grabbed my hair, moving my head and exposing my neck to him. He trailed ghost kisses down the side.

"First I chained him, trapping him in his own personal hell." He told me, pausing at my pulse. "Next I harmed his pet, that dragon. Oh he was pissed at me, you should've seen the fight he put up." He chuckled. "Then I sent my nightmares after him, you remember them right?" He mused. "They tormented him, worse than Elsa and the best part," he bit my pulse for a moment. "he couldn't escape like she did. He couldn't fall into a coma, no he has to suffer every word they say. Every image they throw at him."

"Bastard." He only smiled at the insult.

"He's given up Jack." He purred. "After months of torture he's finally given up. He thinks you've all abandoned him. Now, oh this is the best part. He's blaming all of you for putting him through such a hell." He told me, I summoned ice to break my bindings. "Blames you especially Jack, for putting me in him. You're the reason he's suffering now." I grabbed onto him and tore him off of me. He laughed as I pulled out my wand. "Going to hurt me? And break your promise?"

"You're not Hiccup." I snarled.

"But I can bring him out whenever I please." He mused. "If you attack me, I can easily send him out and then what? You've hurt him." I didn't move, wand still pointing at him. "His silent plea for help as you strike him. Then what will you do?"

"He's already asked for us to kill him. Now or later, it doesn't matter." I glared at him.

"And if you can't bring him back? Autumn's not here at the moment if you haven't noticed." My wand lowered, he was right. We're at a stalemate. An ice spear formed in my free hand and I threw it next to his head. Yellow eyes flashed to green and fear rippled through them. He was confused, wounded.

"Hiccup," his eyes turned from the spear to me and I could see all his emotions. His mouth moved but no sound came out. Pitch had stolen his voice. I knelt down in front of him and reached for him. He winced for a moment before relaxing into the touch. "We will get you out of this." I told him. "You just have to hold out a little bit longer." My voice cracked. He nodded, I lent down and kissed him, he kissed back, it was shy and nothing like Pitch's kisses. "We will save you." I promised him, wrapping my pinky around his. "Or die trying." I kissed him again and felt tears running down his face. He clutched onto my sweatshirt, then pushed me gently. Telling me to go. "Wait for me, I'll come for you." I told him. He nodded and I got up, I noticed a ring of black energy circling him.

Go. He mouthed to me and I turned to the door, opening it and stepping out into the hall, when I turned back the black circle was flowing into him. His body fell limp and I know that when he opened his eyes again he wouldn't be Hiccup any more. I closed the door and returned to my compartment. I sat and looked out the window, ignoring the questions from the others. I didn't want to talk to them. I didn't want to talk to anyone, I could only imagine the punishments Pitch would put Hiccup through.

We spent the summer at Merida's. Not just the three of us but everyone. Families included. It was like one huge party for the entire summer and I didn't understand what was going on for more than half of it. I had told Elsa what happened on the train and she sympathized with me. She was the only one I trusted to tell that too being the only other one to have seen Hiccup within the last half year. I spent a lot of time with Toothless and Rapunzel taught me how to fly him. It took a few tries before the dragon trusted me enough to fly with him alone. Merida and Rapunzel had both been taught by Hiccup. We tried not to talk about Hiccup around Toothless, he was still hurting from when Pitch attacked him and when he was brought up he would either growl or whine.

We planned a lot, and in the end decided that it would have to be the three of us to face off against Pitch. The others would be support, which would be helpful if we were facing an army. But it seemed unlikely for Pitch to gather an army in the period of one summer. Especially considering the fact that he was just a student, going into his seventh year. If he even returns to school next year. "He'll go." Autumn said when we brought it up. Merida scowled at him.

"And you know that how?" She asked. He was sitting on a windowsill, looking out at the forest.

"Because that's where I'll be." He responded simply. This was true, Pitch wanted complete control of Hiccup. He couldn't get that without the final piece of soul that Autumn was protecting. Well, that Autumn was bound with.

"Autumn," I asked, he didn't turn. "What happens if Pitch does get the piece of soul from you?" I wondered. "Will you die?"

"Spirit's can't die." He responded turning to look at me. "Normally we are put to rest until we're reborn into a body. Pitch and a few others are acceptations. They aren't born into a Witch or Wizard like we are." He paused, looking back out the window. "If Pitch were to win then I would fade for a while, living in a half state until Hiccup is finally and truly dead." He answered me. "I'm still connected to his lifeline. As long as he's living, I'll be around."

"Is that what makes bringing him back hard?" Rapunzel asked. Autumn shrugged.

"Depends on several things. If a person dies young, or before their time there's a short gap of time where a merge can take place, saving their lives by binding the spirit to them." He explained.

"But the seasonal spirits are different from other spirits." Elsa added. "The four are bound together. There are others that are bound, linked or whatever they call it. They can only be reborn together. So if they die. Well, if Jack had died, and stayed dead, Winter would return to sleep, and have to wait for the remainder of the Seasonal spirits to die. That could take several hundred years." She paused. "Especially considering overtime we've created things to extend our lives. Not too ago the Philosopher's Stone had been created, it creates the Elixir of Life. Though it had recently been destroyed after Lord Voldemort had tried to use it to bring himself back to life."

"That was... Pitch's previous host?" Anna asked. Elsa nodded.

"So, if Hiccup dies, and we don't save him. You'd just fade to sleep for an unknown amount of time?" Rapunzel asked Autumn. He nodded. "Will you remember him? Do you remember your previous lives?"

"Some," He responded. "Not all of them stay. I don't know if I'll remember being apart of Hiccup." He sighed, "I won't know until I wake up again."

"Being a spirit sounds hard." Merida said, then she looked at Anna. "Do you know your spirit?" She asked her. Anna paused for a moment, as if debating something.

"I don't know." She said honestly. "They don't always show themselves to you. Some people go their whole lives without knowing about spirits. Others know about them but never meet theirs. On rare occasions these people merge with their spirits without realizing it."

"Why do the both of you know so much about them?" I asked, Elsa smirked.

"Well, our kingdom lives in peace with our spirits." She responded. "They're a daily part of our lives. And I grew up merged with mine." She explained. The door opened and Autumn faded.

"There ya all are." The Queen said. "Yer letter's came not to long ago, it's time to go shopping for yer final year at Hogwarts."

Our final year at Hogwarts started slowly, I was anticipating an attack from Pitch at any moment. We all we. But the first month blew by with nothing. The few classes I had with him were quiet. The boy always looking down at whatever he was working on. There were several days where Rapunzel who sat next to him in our classes together looked spooked by something. "What is it he's always doing?" I asked her quietly as we walked to our classroom.

"Drawing mostly." She responded, looking around cautiously as if expecting him to jump out and attack us at any moment. "Their some strange drawings, I can't make them all out from where I sit but I think a few of them are of his horses. The Nightmares." She explained, I nodded and we entered the classroom. There were the days at which I sat behind him in class, the one class we had alone together. I tried to peek at what he was doing but I would get distracted by his gray hand. I cursed at myself, knowing that the poison was the final chess piece that led to Pitch's victory. And finally when he moved enough for me to see a part of the drawing, I didn't care about it any more.

October passed again without scene, and Merida's patients were riding thin. "I swear he's following me." She whispered to me as we sat in the library. "Every time I go around a corner he's there." She said as the boy entered the library to return a book. "See?" She waved her hand towards him.

"Calm down," I told her, and that didn't help to calm her down. "He has to make the first move, and when he figures out that he's not getting us alone," I stopped whispering when he rounded the corner to the shelves our table was even with. He picked out a book, looking at the back cover and scanning what it was about before putting it back and taking another. He took this one with him to check out again. "I think he's planning something big." I admitted after he left the library again.

November rolled in and the tension in SH started to lessen. Holiday was coming up soon and everyone was excited for the few days off of classes. We sat in our classroom lounging around and finishing up some work. "It'll be on Thanksgiving." Anna sat upright startling Kristoff who was her pillow moments before.

"We don't even celebrate that holiday." Elsa commented. "It's American."

"Exactly why he'd plan it then." Anna said. "Common on it makes sense, lately he's been reading a ton about the American traditions and the states in general."

"Maybe he has a test coming up on it." Flynn commented.

"Anna it's a bit far fetched." Astrid agreed. She crossed her arms and spent the next few hours ignoring us. But her suspicion made me curious. For the next few days I paid attention to the books he had with him. She was right, they were mostly American related books. Magic across the New World. The States and their findings. Revolutionary. Those were just some of the few titles. Then, when the American holiday arrived the mood in the school felt wrong. As if it were expecting something.

"I think Anna was right." Rapunzel said as the three of us walked out of our final class of the day. Few people were out wandering the halls. Then, the first horse appeared. It seemed to step out of the shadow's which is quite likely, and it watched us.

"We need to get the others." Merida said calmly. She slipped her arms between ours, pretending to not see the horse and guiding us towards SH headquarters. Someday, we'll have a better name for our group. When that day comes, Hiccup wont be controlled by a evil Spirit and he will be apart of the group. More and more horses appeared as we walked to the classroom, some seeming to follow us while others just watched us. When we finally reached the room our friends were in similar situations.

"Has anyone talked to North about this?" Anna asked nervously. They joined the three of us. "Wasn't he and the Guardian's apart of the plan?" She continued.

"Yes." Rapunzel nodded. "We told him about it, but they might not have realized that..." She stopped talking and I looked to where she was staring. A boy, Hiccup, was standing in the main hall looking at the doors that lead into the Great Hall where dinner had started not to long ago. Next to him stood a Nightmare. He looked over at us.

"You're late." He told us and I felt myself tense. Seconds later screams echoed from the room in front of him. Pounding on the door but it stayed unwavering, not opening for those trapped inside. "Pity, you're missing all the fun."

"Guys," Astrid tapped on my arm and I turned, the nightmares were surrounding us. They started pushing us forwards, towards Pitch.

"I worked so hard to get this done," he mused. "Studying, planning and all for you to miss everything." He tisked at us. "Oh well," he snapped his fingers and the horses charged, separating us and driving me out of the school. I could hear spells being shot, as well as see spiritual magic being sent out, fighting off the horses. I sent spear after spear towards them myself, keeping them off of me and searching for Merida. When I finally found her she was facing off against Pitch.

"Coward!" She called at him after several horses charged her, I shot a spear through them, dissolving them before they reached her. She charged Pitch who didn't bother attacking her, instead he just dodged and blocked her attacks.

"Merida he's just trying to tire you out!" I called to her. She backed away from him and I sent several of my own attacks towards the dark Spirit. "Where's Rapunzel?" I asked her and she shook her head, unsure.

"How are we supposed to fight him like this?" She asked.

"He's got to be stretching his limits, do you see how many Nightmares are here?" I asked. "He can't be at full strength controlling this many."

"So we attack him together." She finished.

"With Rapunzel." I agreed. "And Autumn." There was a long pause. "I'll defend you look." I offered and she nodded, we dove back into the horses searching for Rapunzel. She was back to back with Elsa.

"We've got to finish this!" Merida called to her, the blond glanced at Elsa who just nodded. The three of us raced out of the horses, to where Pitch had been. "Where...?"

"There." Rapunzel pointed off towards the forbidden forest.

"The devil's just asking to be killed." She commented and we ran after him, he was hard to track in the forest but Rapunzel seemed to know exactly where he would be going. We exited into a clearing. Toothless's home and the Dragon was currently not home. It only took us a moment to realize the mistake we made in coming here. The storm of Nightmares surrounded the clearing and Pitch stood in the tree line watching us all.

"Well, we've been in worse." I commented, moving so we formed a triangle. Merida facing Pitch.

"Yeah, those nightmare visions were much worse." Rapunzel agreed.

"I can give you one shot." Autumn told us, solidifying in the middle of us. "As soon as those things charge, one shot. If you miss, we're screwed."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence. It really helps the self esteem." Merida quoted Hiccup and I smiled. Right there in the middle of my death bed I smiled. There was a moments hesitation, then they charged.

 


	11. XI

=Hiccup=

I was unsure what I was more scared of. The darkness Pitch kept me in, with nightmares surrounding me and tormenting me every minute as I listened to Pitch tormenting my friends. Or the silent, empty black I was in now. At least when I was trapped by Pitch I knew I was still alive, I knew that I was walking around somewhere, doing something. Now I wasn't sure if I was even alive. Which was completely pathetic and stupid. Clearly I was dead. I curled in on myself, bringing my knees up to my chest, bowing my head and covering it with my arms. Why was I here? That's the biggest question in my mind. If I was dead shouldn't I be somewhere else? Not in this dark pit of nothing. Not questioning why I was here. Not existing any more.

I'm sure life would be better with that, me gone. Pitch gone, or at least a temporary absence of his presence. If they had managed to thwart his plan, defeating his army of Nightmares and killing him. That would be the best end. I would be content with that ending. So why does this all feel so wrong? Why is it stretching on in an endless hell letting me question everything and anything that pops into my mind. How long has it been? How are the others? How long has past?

Hiccup

The voice startled me, was that my voice? I hadn't heard it in a while it could be. I wonder if it's returned to me. If Pitch has been defeated then it should've right? Autumn got his voice back. Or, I think he did. I don't really remember, was that him talking in those last moments? I thought about those last moments being tormented by the Nightmares. The torture they put me through. Then there was a moment where the Nightmares stopped and looked around, confused then. Poof.

After I felt pain, a blinding, numbing pain, the chains binding me were released and I fell to the ground. Now I'm here. Alone.

"Hiccup," The voice made me jump, I looked up and regretted it immediately. A mixture of orange and white light blinded me and I tucked my head back down trying to dim the light. But, now that I was aware of it. I could see, sort of. If I was dead, then these lights would represent life and I was wondering what life want's with me. Sometimes that's a repetitive question. Sometimes figuratively, sometime literally. Now would be literally. What the hell does life want with me, I messed everything up, I harbored a dark spirit and almost destroyed my friends. Or... maybe I did destroy my friends. I don't know.

"Hiccup," the voice was soft, defiantly Autumn's. I cautiously looked up, wincing with the light that blinded my eyes. Currently it was mostly orange light, I felt a hand on my shoulder and slowly turned to look at whoever it belonged too. Autumn was smiling at me, a soft smile that used to tell me that I did something well. I wonder what it was for now. "Hay, it's time to go." He told me. Go? Go where? Was I just waiting for Autumn to take me further into death or is he trying to bring me back to life. I wasn't sure which I disliked more.

Go? I tried to speak but the voice didn't come. He frowned slightly but helped me stand. "Everyone's waiting for you." He told me, "Jack came to meet you." He gestured to the other light and I turned. He stood, looking at us and unsure what to do. I stumbled forwards before running to him. He caught me, wrapping his arms around me.

"Hay," he said quietly. "It's alright." Alright? What happened? Why was he here? "I'm going to bring you back, okay." I looked up at him and nodded. "Before we go back you have to finish merging with Autumn. He'll help you through it, okay? Just like when you helped me." When I helped him? I don't exactly remember it that way, Autumn had been in control, then after Pitch tried to kill him again. But I nodded and he gave me to Autumn.

"I'll always be here to help you," Autumn told me, I nodded. He smiled and I felt warm. The hand that held onto mine started merging into me and within seconds he was gone. I wanted to cry, I know he wasn't completely gone, he had become a part of me, but I'd never get to see him smile again, or him laugh when I do something stupid, or scold me. He wouldn't be visible to me.

Jack took my hand, "It'll be alright." He told me, I looked at him. Carefully, he whipped tears off of my cheek and I nodded. "Common," he started walking backwards, pulling me out of the darkness, away from my thoughts and back to my body I assume. It took several minutes before he smiled at me. "Close your eyes." He said to me, we continued to move but I closed my eyes. It felt different, I could feel grass rubbing against my hands and something was nuzzling me. Sniffing me, then licking my face and I tried to push him away. My eyes opened and the bright eyes of Toothless met mine. He licked me again, his tail wagging eagerly and I laughed, it was silent. My arms wrapped around him, overjoyed that he hadn't been killed when Pitch attacked him.

I stood and wobbled a bit, right, he went and gave me my leg back. Toothless caught me and I patted his head, mouthing 'Good boy.' I looked around at where we were, the clearing. Obviously, where else would I be meeting Toothless in the middle of the school year? But I didn't see anyone. It was just the two of us. We started towards the school, leaving the clearing and heading out of the Forbidden Forest. Still, no sign of anyone, and quite annoyingly I didn't see anyone until reaching the school. Toothless left behind for his safety. But no one that paid much mind to me, thankfully Pitch hadn't ruined my life to the point of everyone hating me.

I wandered back to the common room, maybe Rapunzel would be there? But I found no one. I sighed and went to my bunk, grabbing my bag with my sketchbooks and leaving the dorm. I found a quiet, isolated hall to sit in, propping my bag against a wall and taking out a sketchbook. That's when I noticed my hand. Uncovered and still gray, sighing I opened the book and skimmed through the drawings. These were from my fifth year, so they were entirely mine. Then the next book, first year, typical he head it out of order. I shuffled the books around until they were ordered from, present from mom to 7th year at Hogwarts. Then I pulled out the one labeled 6th year. I hesitated before opening it. Most of these weren't my drawings and they would bring up bad memories.

I sat on the ground next to my bag and opened it anyways. The first few pictures were from me, the third unfinished, I passed out in the middle of drawing it. Then torture came. I tried not to dwell on them too long. Him torturing each of them, Jack, Merida, Rapunzel- I threw the book at the wall opposite me. "Hiccup?" I looked up. The blond kid Anna hung out with stood there. He picked up the sketchbook with its now crumpled pages. "I don't think you'll be happy with yourself later for that." He carefully adjusted the pages, pausing to look at one or two before closing it and handing it back. I waved it off.

I don't want it. I tried to say. He frowned before kneeling next to me and putting it back in my bag. "Hey," he said to me. "Pitch did something with your voice right?" I nodded, there was silence for a moment. "Common, the others will be looking for you." He stood then held out his hand. I looked at it, reached out then hesitated again when seeing the gray. He took my hand anyways, pulled me up then grabbed my bag for me. "How long have you been awake?" He asked, I shrugged. Not too sure, we walked down to the ground floor and towards the dining hall. "Ah well, you've been unconscious for a few days at least. We've been taking turns looking after you. I wonder who you ran off on." We stopped at a door.

"I swear I left the meadow for a minute!" Astrid was saying, Kristoff pushed open the door enough for me to see her nearly pulling her hair out.

"So he woke up," Flynn commented. "Probably came back to the school. We just have to look around."

"Or not," Kristoff entered, pushing the door open more so I could see the others. "Found him sitting in a hall throwing books at a wall."

"Hiccup!" Rapunzel said gleefully and I was tackled several times. The hug getting bigger with each person that joined. I stumbled and would've fallen had it not been for the people hugging me. "We were so worried about you," she continued after I was able to sit down, the desks were pushed aside and we formed a large circle. I sat between Merida and Rapunzel. Next to Rapunzel was Flynn, then Elsa, Astrid, Jack, Anna, a boy I didn't know, Kristoff, then Merida. "How are you feeling? How long have you been awake? Are you hungry? Do you want something to drink?" She threw question after question at me and it honestly made my head spin.

"Give him room to breath." Elsa smiled, "he looks like he's going to pass out again with all the questions."

"Sorry," Rapunzel said sheepishly. "Maybe we should bring you to the hospital wing? Make sure everything's alright before spending time with you." I shook my head. "Are you sure?" I nodded. Then she frowned.

"You still can't talk?" Jack asked, I glanced at him before nodding and looking down at the ground. "I think you should go see Madam Pomfrey." He told me, I bit my lip, not looking up at any of them. There was some shuffling, then Jack was in front of me. "Common," he said to me, taking my bag and almost forcing me up. "You can visit later, now it's time to take care of yourself." I shook my head in protest, but he wasn't having it. "We'll see you later. I'm sure you'll visit the Hospital wing." He called over his shoulder to the others before taking me out of the room. He kept my hand in his as we walked up the stairs, but before we entered the hospital wing he pulled me into a side hall. "Hiccup," he sighed, still not letting go of my hand. "I told you that I'd come for you. Now I don't want to let go," he said to me. I felt a blush stain my cheeks. He smiled a little bit, reaching up and moving some hair out of my eyes. "I'll understand if you want some time to readjust to everything. Being back, being merged with Autumn... and... if your voice is gone you'll have to learn how to communicate with everyone again." He paused. "But, can we give us a try?" He asked. I leaned up and pecked him on the lips, it brought a smile to his face. "That's a yes?" I nodded and he pulled me into a hug. "I know there's a lot going on, and it's going to be hard, but now you don't have to face it alone. I'll be right there beside you."

We stayed there for a moment before he took me into the hospital wing. Madam Pomfrey put me through several tests, normal checkups as well as testing my vocal cords.

"Well," she pulled her wand away after the last test finished. "Nothing is damaged, you're in perfect health Mr Haddock. I tapped the base of my neck. "I don't know why you can't talk." She told me honestly. "It may be trauma induced. Which seems likely as your predicament for the last year or so."

"Will he be able to talk again?" Jack asked as I stood, getting ready to head back.

"Well, he has the ability to, yes." She told him. "But it may take some time before it returns to him. I'll have your schedule adjusted so you have classes with Professor Mansnoozie, he'll teach you how to communicate with others.

The next few weeks were the hardest. Readapting to everything and learning different ways to talk, none of which seemed to work for me. I spent a lot of time with everyone, and they made it a game to try and figure out what I had to say when I wanted too. Rapunzel had taken away my 6th year sketchbook, so I wouldn't damage it anymore when she found me alone in a hall again, the book across the room because I tried to look through it. "One day, you'll be ready for it." She told me, then took out my second year book and went through the images with me. That cheered me up some. The Seventh year one was easier to look through, there weren't any pictures of Pitch tormenting anyone, just mostly of the Nightmares and the war he had planned. Then three images of myself sitting in darkness, one of myself alone, another with Autumn and the third with Jack. Merida and Rapunzel never knew how to ask about them and Jack didn't. He had been there for a part of that time.

"I saw it differently." He told me when I had pulled the pictures out and pointed to him. "It wasn't completely black like how you have it," he noted to my surroundings. "There were memory's floating around, different pieces of your life. By the way, you were an adorable baby." I blushed and he laughed, before kissing my forehead. Several times I started a sketch in my smallest sketchbook, it was about half way done but I didn't know how to finish it. Then I would quickly close the book whenever someone caught me working on it. I didn't want anyone to see it yet.

It wasn't until after the winter holiday that I figured out a decent way of communication. Other than drawing, that took too long. It was like Professor Mansnooze's sand, only I used leaves like Autumn had. He taught me how, showing me how he had done it with memories and I would replicate the actions. It didn't take long to learn. Rapunzel was shocked the first time I showed her, then she smirked and poke several of the leaves bringing them out of their orange and red states. I rolled my eyes at that.

"So," Kristoff, Flynn, Jack and I were sitting together as the girls went off to do gods know what. "Merida seems to be lonely." Kristoff said. "I mean, duh, she's not. But Valentines day is coming up and she's the only one that doesn't have a Valentine."

"She might not want one." Jack commented. His comment seemed like a joke a few days later when we saw her flirting with the boy I didn't know that had been hanging out with the group lately. "Or she already has one," Jack mumbled, tangling our fingers together. I smiled at him and rested my head against his shoulder.

Several days before Valentines day I asked Rapunzel to let me look through the sixth year book. She only agreed to it if I wasn't allowed to touch it, and Jack and Merida were there to help. It was easier to look through with them there. Still hard to look at, but I was able to finish the book. Towards the end the drawing's started to change, after one of Elsa confronting Pitch they started to focus on his plans, just as the beginning of 7th year did.

"Are you alright?" Merida asked when the book was closed. I didn't respond, instead I buried my face into Jack's chest and he just held me. It remained quiet for a while. The next day I went to Hogsmeade with the girls. They forbid Jack from coming with us, though I'm sure he went with the others, and we planned to meet up with everyone later for butterbeer.

"We're going valentines shopping." Anna informed me as she and Rapunzel had their arms linked with mine. "Any idea on what you want to give Jack?" She teased getting me to blush, I shook my head. We went around from shop to shop looking at what was available. I ended up getting him a bag of sweets and some joke items from Zonko's.

When Valentines came several days later, Jack and I decided to spend the weekend together. After trying to convince me to skip classes, which he already knew was a lost cause. We spent the weekend with Toothless, in the forbidden forest. Eating the sweets we had gotten for each other, flying and cuddling with Toothless around us to provide warmth. I fell asleep on him several times and he told me it was alright, I hadn't had much sleep since facing the sketchbook, I needed it and he enjoyed watching me sleep. Which embarrassed me to no end. The last time I fell asleep on him, he wasn't there when I woke.

"J-Jack...?" I called nervously. The boy dropped out of a tree, startling me.

"Hiccup, you just spoke." He said surprised. My response was hugging him, he held me. "Hey, it's okay. I didn't leave you." He cooed.

"W-What were y-you doing?" I asked, my voice was quiet and shy.

"Climbing trees," he responded. "I saw this odd looking bird and wanted to see what it was." I looked up at him and he was smiling. "It's good to hear your voice again Hic," he kissed my forehead. "I've missed your sarcastic remarks." I glared at him and he laughed. Talking took a while to get used to. After spending almost a year mute it was a while before I was able to talk like I had before. I still stayed quiet for the most part.

"This is it," Rapunzel dropped the pile of books she was carrying as I set mine on the table next to hers. "The lasts school related exams we take." She looked at her books, all related to her classes and then through my pile of books.

"I don't think everyone's going to agree to a study group." I told her. "They all have things to do,"

"Then we'll cram our heads and pass with flying colors and laugh at everyone else when they don't get as many passing grades." She commented picking up the first book and sitting.

"That hurts Blondie," Flynn said to her as he, Elsa and Jack entered the room. "Everyone knows the two of you are the smartest in our group, don't have to rub it in."

"If you studied more." She mumbled. "And Hiccup cheats he has a photographic memory."

"It's not photographic." I scowled taking the top book from my pile. She just glanced up at me then rolled her eyes. Jack wrapped his arms around my waist.

"So a study group?" He asked resting his chin on my shoulder and watching as I opened my book. "Sounds fun."

"Then you must not know Rapunzel's definition of a study group." I said to him. "She means to drop everything you do outside of classes and study, every day. Until testing is over. That includes Quidditch." I added.

"Well I'll join when I can." He commented.

"I'll pass." Flynn said.

"You could use the extra studying." Elsa said to him, she was looking through our pile of books. "Gods between the two of you, every class is covered."

"All but Divination." Rapunzel and I said together. We did end up studying every day, Jack coming as often as he could between practices. Most of the others joined us daily, well, Flynn showed up then went to sleep almost as soon as we started studying. Merida took pleasure in waking him each and every day.

"You need a break." Jack decided one day when we were heading out of a class and back to the 'study room.' He didn't let me protest as he pulled me down a different hall and too a different emptied room. We sat in a windowsill for a while, cuddling and holding hands and talking about stupid things like the weather. Then he kissed me and we went a total of three seconds before I had him pinned against the side of the window. His moment of surprise gave me access to the inside of his mouth. He didn't give in without fighting back.

After an extremely heated make out session he pulled me onto his lap. "That was new." He commented and I just rolled my eyes.

"No, I'm sure you've had plenty of it from-"

"Not from you." He cut me off. "That was Pitch, not you."

"Partly me." I corrected him. "He was acting through my uh... desires. I guess." I explained.

"Well then, I think I'll quite enjoy this dominant side of you." He mused and I blushed. "It could lead to interesting things in the future." My face felt as if it were on fire.

"You enjoy torturing me don't you?" I asked, then my mind dwelled on the word 'future.' I buried my face in the crook of his neck. "Oh gods, I'm going to have to tell my dad."

"Will he disapprove?" Jack asked worried, he held me closer.

"I don't think so but I know he's going to force me to have kids sometime." I answered. "I can just see him taking out his wand and turning one of us into a girl for nine months. Is there a spell for that? I hope not."

"Your dad has a wand?" Jack mused.

"I am a pure blood."

"I just can't imagine him with one." I looked up at him. "Common, Stoic the Vast, Dragon slayer, Chief of Berk, pulling out a tiny wand to deal with his problems."

"Well, when you say it that way." I shrugged, but smiled a bit. The way he put it did make it sound funny. "But I've seen him do it, quite a lot. His least favorite chore is cooking." Jack chuckled a bit.

"Good to know, so you'll be cooking at family events?" He mused and I rolled my eyes, moving to kiss him again. "By the way," he mumbled against my lips. "It's good to know we're on the same page as to how our relationship will go."

"Mm?" I pulled back a bit.

"Having kids in the future, though I hope we can avoid gender changing moments. Maybe adoption." He held me closer.

"I think you should slow down a bit, and focus on graduating first." I told him, "and maybe getting a job if you manage to pass this year."

"Your expectations of me are quite low." He mused.

"Well if you outshined me grade wise where would it leave me?" I asked. "I'm a Ravenclaw, we have competitive issues."

"And stubbornness issues." He added.

"That reminds me, I kinda can't move away from Berk, being the next leader or whatever. Unless I give that spot away to Snotlout and there's no way I'll leave Berk to that fate, so what are you going to do? You're a Prince right?" He held me closer.

"Izzy can take over." He shrugged. "It goes more by tradition for there to be a female leader anyways. I'll come live with you in Berk." I smiled. "I could work for that Dragon Training school or something."

"You? A teacher?"

"Seriously, it hurts knowing how low your expectations for me are." He faked a wounded expression. I wrapped my arms around his neck.

"Well, I'm sorry Professor Frost," I pulled him closer, brushing my lips against his. "I honestly have no idea where I was going with that."

"Way to ruin the moment." He smiled before kissing me.

"You do realize that I'm not going to let you skip another day of studying right?" I asked when we broke apart.

"I figured as much." He replied. "Can't have me looking too dumb, it'll make you look bad."

"No, I want you to graduate." I responded, resting my head on his shoulder. "You make it seem like everything revolves around me."

"It doesn't?" He teased, pressing his cheek against my forehead. We stayed like this for a while, I think I fell asleep on him a few times but just like our day out in the forest, he didn't mind. We just embraced each other and all felt right.

The tests rolled in too quickly. Days of studying and classes and the occasional few hours Jack would steal, not that I minded. They passed too quickly. They were on us, then over and everyone seemed relieved. Everyone was excited, happy to finally be done. But honestly I was scared. I know, considering what I went through here at school, I shouldn't be nervous about moving onto the outside world. I was possessed by an angry spirit. The likelihood of that happening is slim to none, especially in school. But I had been, I survived. Most of my sanity was still in tact, there were still times where I couldn't sleep or I would have a nervous breakdown. All in which I made sure the others didn't see. I'm sure they knew though.

"Please explain to me," Merida looked over Jack's final report. "How the hell did ya pass Transfiguration with higher marks than me?"

"That would be because of Hiccup." Jack smiled at me, my hand was linked with his, not that it was anything new. "He's a good teacher."

"It's his photographic memory." Rapunzel concluded.

"It's not photographic," I protested.

"I think ya should be tested for it." Merida responded. "You've always been like this. Yer drawing's prove it." I looked away from them and out the window. Jack squeezed my hand.

"Why are you so defensive about it?" He wondered. I shrugged. Honestly I don't know.

 

 


	12. XII

=Jack=

Hiccup was nervous. He kept biting his lip and glancing around the room while we waited for his father to return. "It's going to be fine Hic," I said to him, gently squeezing his hand. He glanced at me, and I held his gaze for a long moment before Stoic walked in and sat across from us at the table. He eyed our hands.

"So?" He asked, waiting for one of us to tell him.

"Uh..." Hiccup managed to get out. "Um, Jack..." He hesitated and swallowed. "Jack and I are... together." He pushed out, Stoic didn't look impressed.

"That all?" He wondered. "I thought you would've asked for a house, or something more."

"Well, he doesn't have a place of his own here." Hiccup was a little more confident. Stoic nodded patting his beard.

"He'd need one, moving from the northern tribes." Stoic agreed. "Not a problem, we can have a house built up in no time. Is that all? No wedding plans? No plans for children yet? I know this good spell-"

"We're not planning on getting married yet dad." Hiccup said to him, his face red. I could feel mine burning as well.

"Sir, we're not rushing into it, it's just hard to maintain long distance relationships." I said to Stoic. "With Hiccup succeeding you, it's easier for me to move here to Berk." Stoic nodded.

"But when you are ready," Stoic continued. "All you need to do is ask and I can easily-"

"You don't have a spell to swap someone's gender do you?" Hiccup asked nervously.

"Yes, I know one." Stoic answered. "But it's unsafe, it's easier to just have a woman nurse your child for the nine months. Sperm transplant." He shrugged. "Where would you like your house?" He asked the both of us.

"The hill next door seems like a good place." I suggested. Stoic stood.

"I'll have a team start building today." With that he left us. Hiccup relaxed and I rubbed his shoulder.

"I knew he had a spell for it." He said to himself and I smiled.

Moving into Berk took a while. The house was built in a surprisingly short amount of time but bringing everything over took a while. Izzy often joined me when I would make the trip to Berk, she enjoyed seeing the village that was so different from our ice home.

"What's that?" She pointed to a building while I showed her around.

"Dragon Training School." I answered. "I'm going to be working there soon."

"That sounds like fun!" She said excitedly. "Can I go?"

"I'm sure mom wouldn't mind letting you take a few summer classes." I responded smiling at her. "Maybe you can find an Ice Dragon and tame it."

"That would be awesome." She agreed, then turned to look around some more. "Hiccup!" She ran off, I turned to watch her. The fifteen year old was a miniature hurricane. But I smiled as she stood next to my boyfriend and pointed to the school. He answered her questions patiently and kindly listened to all of her excitement.

Later that night I joined him on our bed as he looked over different scrolls and parchments. Izzy was asleep in one of the spare room's we had. There were at least three. I could only hope that Stoic wasn't trying to imply something. I situated myself behind him and rubbed his shoulders. He relaxed almost immediately. "Taking over a village is a lot of work." He told me, leaning into my chest. I held him and kissed his forehead.

"Take a break." I offered. "Make the bedroom a no-work-zone." I suggested. He rolled his eyes at me.

"You'll be doing the same thing when you start working full time at the school." He told me. "Grading homework, filling out accident reports. That I'll have to look over mind you."

"So, how doesn't the world revolve around you?" I teased, he pulled me down for a kiss.

"I have work I need to finish." He said when I pulled away and I sighed but let him up. When he was comfortable, moving so his back was against my chest, he went back to work. I wrapped my arms around his waist and rested my chin on a shoulder.

"We're making one of the spare rooms a study." I told him.

"Why? You'll just complain that I'm never in here with you. At least this way you can hold me." He responded. "And besides, you'll miss watching me work." He had me at that. But, the next day we did turn one of the spare rooms into a study. Izzy helping, we let her practice spell's to get the room set up.

"How long am I allowed to stay?" She asked after lunch. I tipped back in my chair and looked at her. She was lounging on the couch. Currently it was just the two of us, Hiccup had to run off to help his father with something.

"Mom said it was alright for you to stay the summer." I responded. "Oo how fun, hanging out with boring adults and what was that you wanted to do? Spend half of your summer in school?" I teased her. She just rolled her eyes.

"Oh yes, because you and Hiccup are so boring." She replied. "You do absolutely nothing but work all day long. And-oh no! Learning how to train and ride Dragons! How will I ever survive my few hours of school a day?"

"Your level of sass rivals Hiccups." I noted.

"It's because we're both girls." She said sitting up.

"Excuse me?" His voice startled both of us and I nearly fell out of the chair. I looked over to see him with a bag slung over his shoulder, more scroll's in it. Izzy blushed and hid behind me.

"Sorry!" She squeaked. The look of annoyance on his face was absolute.

"Well I was going to give you a tour of the school. Maybe introduce you to some of the dragons but now..." He started towards the stairs.

"What?" She piped up. "Really? I'm sorry I didn't mean it!" He ignored her, climbing up to the second floor. "Hiccup!"

"You hurt his ego." I commented.

"He had to walk in right then." She fell dramatically onto the couch.

"You didn't have to call him a girl." I chuckled getting up out of my chair and clearing the table. "Get up and help me."

"There's no point!" She said. "I'm not getting VIP treatment anymore."

"Stop being a drama queen and help your brother." Hiccup scolded from the stairs. "Or I won't take you to the school." She shot up and helped me finish the dishes. Then shyly went over to him with an innocent gleam in her eyes. He stared at her for a minute before sighing. "Ugh fine, you're forgiven. But if you ever call me a girl again I will make your life miserable." He told her. She hugged him.

"You're the best!" She said excitedly.

"No," he shook his head. "Because the boy's are here too." As if on cue there was a knock on the door. "And I know how you love spending time with them."

"This is my punishment." She sighed as I walked over to the door. Merida was waiting for us, the boys at her heels, peeking around her to see what was inside.

"Please tell me that ya have a reason for these three to join me?" She looked between the three of us. Harris, Hubert and Hamish grinned simultaneously.

"They were invited for the summer session right?" I asked. Merida was confused for a moment then she realized what I was talking about.

"Dragon school." She clarified, I nodded.

"Izzy~" Hamish called to her.

"We've missed you so much!" Harris added.

"What a coincidence that you're here," Hurbert added and I felt bad for my sister. Luckily for her they were staying in the dorms at the school. Teaching easily became one of my favorite things to do. Interacting with everyone and the Dragons five days a week, though the summer course only lasted about a month, so about 24 classes total. I didn't mind it considering I was still learning how to take care of the Dragon's myself.

"So when does this homework thing start up?" I asked Hiccup when we finally settled down after a long day of work.

"The year classes are different from the summer courses." He noted. "And it mostly works with children between the ages seven and ten." He rested his head against my chest and I wrapped my arm around him. "It's slower and more informative than the summer course, there will be homework for you."

"So, you're saying that I'll enjoy the summer class more." I mused. He shrugged and easily drifted to sleep.

Our first fight came a few weeks later after I started noticing that he was losing sleep. It was stupid, he refused to tell me what was wrong and shelled up to the point where he only communicated to me through leaves like he had when he was mute. "Maybe he's not ready to talk about it." Izzy offered some advice as the class packed up to head home. I was walking around checking harnesses, making sure nothing had been damaged in our first flying lesson.

"We've been together for almost seven months now, friends for longer. I'd hope he'd have realized that he can tell me anything." I commented fixing the straps on a harness.

"First, you had this, oh I don't know, three year feud where you refused to talk to him." She reminded me. "Then Pitch took over his body and made him all evil and stuff." She continued. "That lasted a year and a half. You haven't exactly been buddy buddy with each other for a while." I sighed.

"If he had just talked to me about it..." I leaned against the wall.

"Maybe that's his problem, he doesn't know how." She said.

"He has no problem telling Rapunzel things." I noted she made a sour face at me.

"Jealous Jack, not fun." She linked her thumbs in her belt loops and spread out her fingers. "He's not with her anymore, he's with you."

"Not the point." I scowled. "Why am I even talking about this with you?"

"Because Elsa's not here for you to rant too." She grinned at me. "Like the little gay boy you are." I tried to grab her and she jumped back. "Okay, seriously, just give him space. He will tell you, he just needs time." I turned back to the harness I was working on.

"Yeah whatever." I mumbled. "Don't you have some triplets to prank?"

"Love you too!" I heard her walk off. Later that night I sat in our study at Hiccup's desk and looked through his sketchbooks. I didn't dwell the drawings for too long until I got to seventh year and found his newer pieces of work. There was a lot of us, the two of us doing random things and it made me smile. There were few that I didn't get right away, they seemed to be repeats of his image of him in the dark. But each were different, the darkness took shape in some areas, a horse. No, a Nightmare. Or Pitch hovering around him, as if haunting him.

The room's light flicked on and I turned. Hiccup stood in the doorway and I got up, walked over to him and wrapped my arms around him. He buried his face into my shoulder and clung to me. "Sorry..." he mumbled against the muffle of my shirt.

"No, I'm sorry." I told him. "I shouldn't have pushed you." It took a few more days but we repaired the gap between us.

"Jack I want to have sex." Hiccup startled me when I got home one day.

"I did not need to hear that." Izzy, who had been getting a drink in the kitchen set down the cup, covered her ears and slipped past me and out of the house. Hiccup blushed a dark red. We sat on the couch, well Hiccup sat on the couch and I was using his legs as a seat.

"You sure about this?" I asked him when the embarrassment from my sister faded away. He nodded, "it's a big step in the relationship." I reminded him.

"I know." He took my hand and concentrated on it, bending and flexing the fingers. "I know, but I've been thinking about it for a while." He told me, "I mean..." He blushed.

"I get it," I reassured him. He gave me a sheepish smile. "I just want you to be ready for it. If it's too much..."

"We'll use a safe word." He suggested. "Like..." he thought about it for a while. "Um..."

"Don't kill yourself over it." I mused. "Why don't just use Black." I offered.

"Why black?" He wondered. I shrugged.

"Not a word you'd normally hear in sex, it's random and will get either of our attentions." I explained, he nodded slowly. "We're not going to try it with my sister in the house though."

"I didn't think so." He sighed, I stole my hand from him and lifted his chin. His eyes met mine. "She could stay at the dorms for a night or two."

"A few nights won't expand to the rest of the summer."

"But it's enough for now." He smile a little bit.

"Alright," I agreed, leaning forwards and kissing him. It took a few attempts, Hiccup was extremely embarrassed about everything and it was cute.

"Am I aloud to come home now?" Izzy complained after the fourth night. It was during our lunch break at school. "Honestly how long does it take to... you know."

"Sex," I said just to get her even more embarrassed. "Isn't something you can rush," I told her. "You can seriously hurt your partner if you don't do it correctly."

"Thank you for the information on sex ed. I'm sure I'll learn about it in school." She said, annoyed and play punching me in the arm.

"No we haven't gone all the way yet." I said to her.

"So I can't come home yet." She concluded.

"That's up to Hiccup." I responded. She groaned and marched back to her seat as the class gathered. Chuckling I started up class again. Hiccup let her come home, and when I went to bed that night I found him sitting on it with work all over the place. He looked up at me when I entered the room. "I thought we agreed on having no work in here." I mused, sitting behind him.

"We never agreed to it," he commented, leaning back into me. "You suggested it." I rolled my eyes and wrapped my arms around his waist.

"So, what are we working on tonight?" I wondered.

"There's a carnival coming to town soon." He answered. "They started visiting every summer after dragon's became our friends. Dad's putting me in charge of the set up and making sure it runs smoothly."

"So, giving you the things he doesn't want to do." I concluded. He shrugged and started to put away the scrolls. "You don't have to stop because of me."

"I never get work done this late with you holding me. Too distracted." He responding, filling up his bag before setting it to the side of the bed. I hummed and held him close for a moment before he shifted, turning to look at me. "Want to know what I remembered earlier?"

"What?"

"We're wizards." He responded picking up his wand and examining it for a moment.

"I think it's hard to forget something like that." I responded, he rolled his eyes and pointed the wand at the door. He mumbled a spell that I didn't hear and for a moment I could see a barrier shielding the door. "What's that for?" I asked him as he put the wand back on the side table.

"That, is a spell I learned from you." He responded. "Muffliato."

"Oh," the name stuck in my head for a moment before I realized why he used it. "You love loopholes don't you?" I asked before he kissed me.

The summer passed and it felt strange seeing my sister get her letter for Hogwarts while Hiccup and I didn't. We were done with school, well, done attending Hogwarts. I was still going to school on a regular basis for work. Hiccup continued to train under his father to take over the village some day and everything was a sort of pattern. "Hey, you should cancel classes on December 1st." Hiccup told me as I was grading some papers in the study.

"I am going to assume that it's an important day?" I glanced over at him. He was sitting in his chair, well lounging in it and staring at the ceiling.

"Well, I think it's important." He said, not glancing at me. "You'll just have to decide whether or not it is yourself."

"Alright, no classes on the first." I reached over and grabbed his hand. "Can I know why it's an important day?" A flash of irritation sparked through his eyes.

"You can wait, unless you remember before then." He glanced at me. "Sometimes I have to remember that your memory isn't as good as mine."

"I still agree with the others when they say you should check to see if you have photographic memory." I told him. He sighed and looked back at the ceiling.

"I'll give you a hint." He said, I smiled and squeezed his hand. "It's the day I woke up." Of course that was an important day for him, Pitch was finally out of his life and he was able to come back to us. Though he didn't really completely come back to us, parts of him were still stuck. He may not realize that I notice his sleepless nights or nightmares that haunt him. I try to help him the best he could but Rapunzel told me to wait for him to bring it up. He's sensitive about things like that, it'll take time.

There was something else about the first that I still didn't know. It distracted me in my free times, and annoyingly while I tried to grade papers and work related things. "Don't let it bother you too much." Elsa said as she and Astrid took me to Diagon Alley for shopping reasons. "Just get him a present, or two. More is always better, especially if you don't remember things." Elsa had officially moved to Berk after her and her younger sister agreed that Anna would be a better ruler. "We're getting him something too, though I'm sure he wants to spend the first with you."

"You know what it is," I concluded. She smirked, stopping outside a shop and window browsing. "Can't you just tell me?"

"The thing about it is, it's so simple and you forgetting is completely idiotic on your part." She told me. "What happened on the day Hiccup woke up?" She asked me. "I know you know the answer to that."

"A lot of things happened the day he woke up." I responded. "Normal school drama, tests were going on. Hiccup and I had our first kiss that day."

"You started dating him." Astrid told me. "It's your anniversary." Okay, wow, I'm stupid. To make up for my stupidity I got him a book he's been wanting for a while, some of his favorite sweets and a few new drawing items. He's been out for a while.

When the first came he was happy, and surprised for the gifts. In return we spent the day just with each other, and dinner at some fancy restaurant I didn't pay much attention too. Overall, it was a great first anniversary. "May dad is pestering me to have a kid." Hiccup groaned one night after coming home late from work. "Like, annoyingly pestering, leaving notes everywhere, bringing it up in down time. He's even threatened to turn me into a girl once or twice."

"I think you'd make a cute girl." I commented, he scowled.

"Not the point." I laughed and pulled him into a hug.

"Do you want to have a baby?" I asked him.

"I was hoping to at least get married first before thinking about kids." He responded, I smiled a bit. "Or wait until we were I don't know, older than eighteen. With a bit more experience in the outside life."

"His response to that?"

"My mom and him were married right out of Hogwarts." Hiccup sighed. "It's a Viking thing."

"I think I should learn some of these Viking traditions, I do plan on staying with you for as long as we can tolerate each other." He smiled a little and pressed his lips to mine for a moment.

"We're going to have to sort things out with my dad before he turns me into a girl." He commented. "Unless you want to deal with me being a complete and total bitch for the next , gods know how long." I kissed him.

"We'll sort it out, I'll bring up my own traditions and maybe he'll be lenient." I told him, he smiled and cuddled into my embrace.

"You're the best boyfriend ever." He told me.

"It'd be nice to hear more often." I mused.

"Don't push your luck Frost." I chuckled holding him closer.

Christmas came quickly, we spent half of it in Berk. Celebrated the Viking way, then apparated to my home and spent the evening with my mom and sister. Izzy happily told us everything that happened to her in school that she left out in letters. In return we told her how things were back in Berk, as well as Hiccup's issues with his dad pestering him about getting a heir so the Haddock line could continue. Mom laughed and teased him about how good of a girl he would make when he told them about his dads threats.

"It's because you're adorable." I told him when he collapsed on our bed. I sat next to him and he turned his head to look at me. "You would make a beautiful girl."

"I get the feeling that you want to see me as one."

"I love you, just the way you are." I smiled, getting him to blush. "I'll love you no matter what, but that doesn't mean I won't tease you if you are turned into a girl."

"This family is going to be the death of me." He buried his face into the blankets on the bed. I chuckled and shifted to rub his back. He relaxed into my touch and hummed his approval.

"The best part is the family hasn't even started yet." I mused, he tried to bat me away but I caught his hand and kissed the tips of his fingers. He sighed giving up and I went back to massaging him.

It wasn't until March when we brought up the family topic again. It was after sex, and we were just holding each other. "I don't think I could see myself with anyone but you." He told me.

"Rapunzel," I commented.

"We barely lasted a year." He mumbled. "But I've liked you for a long time."

"How long would that be?" I wondered, keeping my eyes closed and focusing on his voice.

"Summer before second year. That's when I figured it out." He responded, I peeked an eye open to look at him.

"That's a long time." I noted, he curled against me. "Why didn't you say anything?" I wondered.

"We were twelve, well, you were eleven." He responded. "I didn't think there was any reason to say anything." I hummed in response and there was a long pause. "What about you?" He wondered. I took a moment to respond.

"I figured it out when I saw you and Rapunzel kiss at the end of fourth year." I responded.

"Was that why you and Elsa broke up?" He looked up at me. I shrugged a bit.

"One of the reasons. Yeah." He rested his head against my chest again, taking some time to think, or fall asleep.

"I want you to be apart of my family." He told me, half asleep. "Forever."

"I'll be here as long as you want me." I told him, I could tell that he was smiling.

Winter passed and turned into spring, and we spent the equinox with Rapunzel, she had started working at St. Mungo's almost as soon as we left Hogwarts and was often too busy to spend time with everyone, but she managed to get the day off. "Punzy~" Merida draped her arms around the blond as soon as she arrived. "I've missed you."

"I've missed you too!" She said cheerfully. Hiccup and I walked into her house after the redhead. "It's good to see all of you." She took turns hugging us after Merida let her go. "How have you all been?"

"Busy," Hiccup and Merida said together. I just shrugged and she led us to the sitting room. "I'm going to be Queen soon." Merida made a face. "Mom expects me ta find a husband. I don't want one yet."

"When's your inauguration?" Hiccup asked her.

"This summer, I'll send ya all invitations when 't get's closer." She told us. "What about you Hiccup?"

"I've got a few years." He shrugged, leaning into me after I sat. I wrapped my arm around his shoulder. "Dad's been pestering me and Jack to start a proper family too."

"Well why don't you?" Merida asked.

"I would like to not rush these things." He responded then glanced at me.

"I don't mind taking things slowly." I shrugged. "If it's too rushed it might end badly."

"You two are adorable," Rapunzel teased before glancing at the clock. "I have to wake Flynn up, or he's going to miss everything." She told us. "I'll be back in a few minutes." She stood and walked out of the room. Flynn was grumpy after getting woken up, but he quickly warmed up to us and was back to his normal self in no time.

After returning home, and to our normal schedules everything seemed peaceful for a while. Stoic backed off of Hiccup after I sat down with him and explained some of my village traditions, where it was common for a year or two too pass before a couple thought about expanding their family's, as did most of the modern world. He said he'd give us a year, total from the beginning of summer before he would force us to marry and start a family. That would give Hiccup time to decide if he wanted to have kids the easy way or the hard way. Easy being find someone to agree to baring his child, hard being him turned into a girl.

"Well, at least there's some more time." Hiccup sighed when I told him. We were sitting at the dining table and eating dinner. "But... finding someone to agree..." He bit his lip debating on if he liked the idea or who he could ask without being killed. I reached across the table and took his scarred hand, letting my thumb run across the gray skin.

"We'll figure it all out." I told him. "You're not alone in this." His eyes gazed into mine.

"I know, I have you, and Rapunzel and Merida."

"And Elsa, Astrid, Anna, Flynn." I continued to list people off and he smiled. "We've got a ton of friends, and we're all here for each other." He nodded. "We're not alone."

"You can be extremely sappy at times." He told me and I smirked.

"You wouldn't have me any other way." I responded, leaning towards him.

"That's because I fell in love with a moron." He responded, closing the gap between us.

 


End file.
